God Called in Sick Today
by insaneartist
Summary: "I can't help my laughter as she cries; my soul brings tears to angelic eyes&miles away my mother cries. Omnipotence, nurturing malevolence." The intensity of my hate for this monster-man is beyond words.   SEQUEL TO ALTERNATE ENDING OF MY DERAILMENT
1. Breakeven

**Chapter One: Breakeven**

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He had house elves take all of my personal belongings out, like my clothing, books, and things like that, out of the house before he burned it down. He burned down my house and all of Draco's and our wedding things inside of it down. He made me watch as he set it on fire; I'm not sure if it was out of lack of care, or out of some weird kindness, but he let Lucius mourn Draco's death with Narcissa. He hasn't called upon him since the day of Draco's death, exactly a month ago today.

Voldemort moved us into a huge palace in some country. He told me where we were, but I didn't pay attention to him, and the people speak English, so I doubt we ventured too far. And to be honest, most white people look the same to me. You can ask me to find any individual Italian, Greek, Egyptian, etc… and I'll be able to pick them out of the crowd and bring you to them. I lived in Greece with my family until I was five; England never felt like home. We all stayed because the job opportunities were better for my father. It was a smart move, and we don't regret it, but we miss our real home.

Anyway, I couldn't really tell where in the world I am since the people look English, so we're probably in the far off hills somewhere in the U.K. I doubt he'd want to station himself away from the first nation he could dominate. To tell you the truth, I've been wallowing in self-pity in the library of the palace. This place is huge; the library is the same size as the house Draco and I shared, and the palace itself is easily four times the size of the mansion I lived in with my parents, the one next to Malfoy Manor. It's easily two city blocks; I've barely seen the place. I'm yet to look around out of the fear of getting lost.

Death Eaters roamed the corridors, but I didn't talk to them and they didn't talk to me. I haven't even talked to myself. I've slept _maybe_ twenty hours this whole month, and I've eaten _maybe_ three full meals. I've just been reading and crying, crying and reading. I went shopping, but that didn't fill the void. Voldemort and I share a room, but we don't share a closet. The closets look small from the outside, but once the doors are opened, the closets are the same size as a house for a middle class family. I have several closets; one for all my clothing, – which the house elves sophisticatedly organized – one for all my shoes, and one for all my accessories. I've worn the same two outfits while here: grey sweatpants and a shirt, and black sweatpants and a shirt.

I went outside once, but I had to be followed by Death Eaters after Voldemort made the property impossible to apparate or disapparate from. The acres upon acres of green land were stunning; there are hills every where, healthy trees and other plants litter the area, and a shallow river flows across the property, but it was below freezing outside, so I rushed back in. I've been sitting in a large, comfortable armchair near a large fireplace in my personal library. I can honestly say that there are about a million novels, books filled with poetry and/or short stories, and other literature in the library. The books have allowed me to be someone else, to live the life of someone else, in the controlled world of the author. I tried rereading Catcher in the Rye, but it made me cry every time I touched the cover or a page, so I've avoided it.

Voldemort has only demanded me in his bed several nights, but he didn't do anything past trying to hold me. I slept on the edge of my half of the bed. Not like the sliver before the edge, but the edge. The first night, Voldemort tried to hug me; I didn't fight him off or even say anything, but my mood and emotions radiated off of my body. He quickly let go of me, but he slept on my side of the bed. He lets me stay in my library all hours of the day and night; for the time being, he's given up on me. He's focusing on how he's going to kill Harry and then how he's going to overthrow the ministry and become the dictator here in England, and then the whole world. Snape runs Hogwarts now that Dumbledore is dead, and the majority of the ministry is under his control. The death of Draco has made me the master of the Elder Wand, so he dueled me for a minute, easily defeated me, and became the master of the wand.

Everything was running smoothly for Voldemort, except for me. I've been mourning Draco. I don't feel guilty for his death; I was forced to do it. I didn't kill him because I wanted to, but I miss him with every ounce of my being. He was my everything, and it was my fault that he died. I'm slowly moving past it all, but I still hurt. The few hours I've been able to sleep I've dreamt about him, and that's made me feel better.

Someone sat down on the other armchair by the fireplace. They remained silent and I didn't look to see who it was, but I doubt a Death Eater would just waltz into _my _**private** library, and if it was a family member they'd have said something by now. I continued reading my copy of The Great Gatsby and soaking up the warmth of the fireplace. I'm wearing wool socks – they somehow don't itch – sweat pants, and a thick, red sweater, but I'm still cold. My sweater is a turtleneck, so I put my dirty, rather greasy hair up in a messy, frizzy bun so that it'd be out of my way as I read. After ten minutes of silence, my unwanted guest coughed and asked me, "Are you hungry?"

I was right; it's Voldemort. "Yes."

He shifted a little bit in his seat, "Do you want to eat?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I'll just puke it back up."

He grinned, "Bulimic now?"

I turned the page as I finished the sentence at the bottom, "If that's your attempt at a joke, you should know now that it wasn't funny."

Voldemort sighed with irritation.

"I just can't keep anything down. Except for water, which I guess I'm lucky since water hurts coming up."

Voldemort drew in a breath, but he didn't reply.

I ignored him again and continued reading.

After two minutes of staring at me, he asked, "It's getting late, do you want to go to sleep?"

"Yes."

He stood up, but watched with curiosity, as I didn't budge from my chair. "Are you going to sleep?"

"Probably not."

"Why?"

"I'm not much of a sleeper these days."

He sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. "Is there _anything_ you're willing to do?"

"Finish this book."

Voldemort sighed and walked out of the library with annoyance. I ended up drifting into a sleep like state where I sort of got some rest, but I didn't really sleep. You know when you're almost in a deep sleep, but you're still conscious? That's how I was. I book marked my page and I gently laid the book down on the floor. I closed my eyes and hoped sleep would find me, but only its beginnings did. I rested my back against the right arm, brought my knees comfortably into my chest, and laid sort of facing the back of the chair. I didn't bombard myself with thoughts, I barely thought, to tell you the truth, and I relaxed my body.

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Voldemort made me join him for breakfast. I sat to his left as he ate breakfast and discussed world domination plans with his inner circle of Death Eaters, except for my father and father in law. I poked my food with a fork, but Voldemort gave me a stern look and stopped mid-sentence. "Neema."

"Hmm?"

"Did I tell you to eat?"

"I didn't know I had to be told."

A Death Eater snickered, but he didn't pay it any attention. "You must ask me for everything."

"May I respond?"

A few more Death Eaters smirked.

"Stop being a sarcastic, melodramatic bitch, and eat your damn breakfast."

I quietly sighed while he shouted at his Death Eaters that there was nothing humorous about the conversation he just had with me. They all immediately sat up straighter, nodded feverishly, and took him completely seriously. He continued on with his conversation about world domination. Greyback suggested that they widen their search of muggle borns and the Golden Trio a third of the way into the discussion. Voldemort liked the idea; he recently tabooed his name, and all sorts of people began appearing in the dungeon area of the castle palace thing we live in. He soundproofed the dungeons so that I wouldn't have to hear the horrors and other nightmarish things that happened in there. I wasn't paying attention to their conversation when Bellatrix said, "What do you think about that, Neema?"

"What?" I looked over to her with no interest.

Apparently I offended her quite a bit; she glared at me as if I just robbed her bank account and said, "About you murdering Draco."

That fucking bitch! I glared right back at her, "I think I liked fucking your husband better."

Her eyes grew to the size of the moon while all the Death Eaters at the table, except for Rodolphus, snickered and grinned. "What?" She shouted and then slammed her hands down on the table, "WHAT?"

Voldemort leaned back and grinned while I played with the cheese on top of my omelet with my fork. I stared down at my melted, stringy cheese, as it stretched from the omelet to my fork, "Are you deaf, because I didn't stutter."

A few more Death Eaters laughed while she shot up, "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?"

"The satisfier of your husband. You really should pay Rod's rod some attention. The thing definitely deserves it."

She pointed her wand at me, "WHY YOU LITTLE—"

In a surprisingly quiet voice, Voldemort said, "Calm down, Bellatrix, I told her to."

She lowered her wand and stared at him with shocked curiosity, "Pardon me, My Lord?"

Voldemort drew in a deep breath as he refrained from laughing. He leaned forward and stroked my chin, "It was our first time, and I told Rodolphus to do it."

Bellatrix sat down, but she was still furious.

"It was her punishment, she was looking at your nephew the whole time I was giving it to her."

Bellatrix drew in a deep breath, but she didn't reply.

Voldemort went back to eating his breakfast, "I don't think I'll ever see why you liked that boy."

"He was a man," I mumbled.

Voldemort put his fork down on the side of his place and looked at me with curiosity and shock.

I repeated my statement, only I said it louder this time.

"Is that so?"

"He was a man, much more of a man than you'll ever be."

Voldemort slapped me so hard I fell out of my chair and onto the floor. All the Death Eaters sat silently and awkwardly. I drew in a deep breath, grinded my teeth, and then bitterly asked, "May I sit back in my seat?"

Voldemort didn't look at me, "No."

I drew in a sharp breath, "I wish I had more words in my vocabulary."

He couldn't help himself, "Why?"

"I'm getting tired of just telling you I hate you."

He smirked, "You may sit back in your seat."

I glared at him and sat back in my seat. We engaged in a tense stare down as I continued slowly eating my omelet and he talking about his world domination plans.

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**A/N: This is a short chapter, but it's just the first chapter. I wanted to give you the setting and the mood more than a chunk of story. It's going to be a dark story, so please do continue reading if you like those sort of stories. And please review!**


	2. Tears of Pain, Tears of Joy

**Chapter Two: Tears of Pain, Tears of Joy

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The grass was wet and the air was cold. This is the type of combination I try to avoid. At least, I used to. I can't die, I can't get sick, and I can't get injured. Pain I can feel; I can suffer mentally and I can be "punished' via spells and potions, but I can't change. Apparently God thoroughly hates me, because Snape invented an aging and then freezing potion. I will forever be twenty. Nothing that I actually want, I get. I'm going to live-forever, which is awful, but at least I get to be young forever, too. That's pretty much the only upside in my life right now.

The grass flattened under the weight of my body, and the raindrops on the blades absorbed into the outer most layer of my clothing, but I could still feel its coldness against my warm skin, sending shivers deep into my spine. The sky was completely covered by dark clouds; no patches of blue existed, and only enough sunlight to light the Earth shone through.

Bellatrix was chewing gum or something similar quite loudly. I'm not allowed to go anywhere alone, except for my library and the bathroom. Bellatrix is about thirty feet away from me, but she's chewing extra loud in an attempt to annoy me. Even though I didn't want to do Rod, even though Voldemort himself told her that I was forced to do him, she hasn't forgiven me. Not that I care. Honest. I hate her _sooooo_ much; she's right underneath Voldemort under my list of people I hate. Doesn't she have a heart at all? Draco is her nephew, for God's sake. Her blood sister's son! And she brings his death up as if he was just a cow in the middle of a hungry village. She talks about him as if he meant nothing to anyone. Lucius lost his only child, Narcissa lost her reason to live, and I lost my soul mate. My Goddamn, mother fucking, SOULMATE. And the only thing I have to show for it is depression and tourette's. I'd probably be a size eighteen again with my lack of exercising and my extreme over eating in attempt to cope with my emotional trauma.

Bellatrix started to chew even louder, it that was possible, so I sighed and gave in. "Hey, Bellatrix?" I said ridiculously politely.

She snapped at me, "What?"

"Is it possible for you to chew like a normal person, you know, quietly?"

"Of course I can!" She glared at me and started to walk in small circles just to have something to do.

"Then why don't you get to doing that?"

She scowled at me before hissing, "Why on Earth would I do what you want? You're just a stupid little girl. And a blood traitor at that."

I smiled to mock her, "I may be a stupid blood traitor, Trixy, but I am married to Voldemort. So you can shut the fuck up when I ask you to, or you can shut the fuck up when he makes you. The choice is yours. I'd honestly prefer it if he'd put you in your insignificant place, but again, the choice is yours."

She stomped over to me, "Listen to me, you pampered, spoiled, brat!"

I smiled up at her.

She tried to tug me up from my left arm, "We're! Going! In! Side!"

I sprung up, slapped her, and then laid back down. I glared at her and said with a serious, harsh tone, "You're my _observer_, not my master. In fact, if anything **I'm** _your_ master."

"How?" She spat, "_How?_"

"Because I'm married to your master. What's his is mine and what's mine is his. It was part of our cursed vows. When he's not around, it is within my power to whip your white ass. I don't really want to do that, Trixy. I'd like to see him do it since he's capable of the cruelty you deserve, but what I really, really want, is just to lay down and have my surroundings quiet. Again, the choice is yours."

She huffed loudly and walked away from me. She sat barely near enough to see me, but it made it painfully obvious that she wasn't actually paying attention to me. I wanted to leave the field within an hour, but I stayed out there for literally four hours out of spite. Bellatrix was extremely displeased, so I sent her inside. She's not supposed to leave me, not even when I command her to. Even the Imperious Curse isn't a valid excuse. But she left anyway. Her leaving brought me the first flash of deep, conscious joy ever since I've been stuck in this harsh reality. And I'm not even happy because I'm alone, I'm happy because she's going to be crucioed for her disobedience. Does that make me a bad person?

I don't care anymore.

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I decided to wander the halls when Voldemort arrived. He was immediately upset with Bellatrix; I didn't want to stick around to hear everything go down. I don't like her, but I like him even less, and to be in a room with _both_ of them would surely split my soul. Again.

I eventually found myself in a room filled with instruments. Any type of music could be created with any variety of the instruments in the room. I slowly walked over to a rather odd looking guitar and randomly strummed a few notes. I'm not quite sure what made me start playing a muggle song, especially since I haven't even heard the song since I was in my second year, but I could remember it perfectly. I charmed the drum set and bass to play along with me while I quietly started to sing. "We came together under September or was it July? God knows I'm just too high and full of spite to ever fully remember. Walked your street and it felt just so right to the tick tocks of the blinking light. I'll think of you resting by the covers, a feel for you; I'm grasping by the collar."

I heard the faint sound of curious footsteps, but I don't give a damn about anyone anymore. What worse thing could happen to me? Honestly, name ONE worse thing. Can you do it? Because I really can't. "And I have spread some love and some lies, I'm only truthful half the time. But truthfully, darling, you held me close and I never felt so alive to see you're eyes. That great big picture in the sky, it's just enough, enough to make me float on by."

I didn't look up when I heard the slight tap against the door. Someone was standing there, but I kept my focus on the song until I finished it up. I drew in a deep breath, hunched over a bit, and slid an inch or so back on the stool I decided to sit on before looking over at the door. A very tired, significantly paler, and obviously emotionally distressed Lucius Malfoy was leaning in the open doorway. We made awkward eye contact before he quietly said, "That was a beautiful song, Neema."

"Thank you, sir." I replied, equally quiet.

"Did you write that?"

"No, a muggle group did."

Lucius' thin, chapped lips curled into the smallest of smiles. "I see you're openly rebelling."

I smiled, too, "As much as possible."

His small smile widened, "I'm sure Potter would be proud."

I laughed and pushed back several loose, frizzy hairs from my face. "This whole war isn't going at all like I planned. He's used his recent 'lessons of love' to revise his plan and kill Potter in a much different, quicker way."

Lucius arched his right brow exactly like Draco, "Lessons of love?"

I gulped and fought back some tears, "My love for my sister and my love for Draco. He said he's learned from my," I did air quotes, "weakness."

Lucius nodded. A few tears slid down his face, but the rest of his body wasn't involved in his crying. Even his voice was stable, "Do you miss him?"

I was taken back, "Are you serious? That's all I ever do."

Lucius was quiet for a long time before telling me, "Narcissa and I have been fighting almost everyday since his…passing."

I stayed silent.

"We just sob and fight."

"I do the same."

He gave me a curious look, "Who do you fight with?"

"Myself, mostly. I haven't really talked to Voldemort too much since I've been here. He's usually out and about, making sure things are running smoothly and controlling the ministry. I think he apparated to Snape's office. Is he Headmaster now?"

Lucius gulped, "Yes."

I nodded, drew in a deep breath, and continued, "He's offered to send me to Hogwarts, but then immediately took it back and said he'd just get me a private tutor once I'm out of my 'funk'."

Lucius rolled his eyes, "Even if you did want to go back, you'd have a horrid time. The only place you'd be happy was in your House, and there is no way the Gryffindors have opened their Goddamn eyes to your situation. They probably just picture you as his bimbo," he looked at my pathetic form, "not that you are—"

"It's okay, I know what you meant."

He stood quietly for a few minutes before asking, "May I come in and sit down?"

"Of course."

Lucius sat down on a small loveseat across from me. After a very long time of silence, he sighed and asked, "Why did he make you do it?"

"To torture me."

"Did he do anything after that?"

"Made a horcrux—"

Lucius sighed, "So you're eternally damned?"

"Pretty much."

We were quiet for thirty seconds before we busted up. Neither of us could tell you _why_ we laughed, but we laughed. I had to put down the guitar in order to not hurt myself. I ended up falling off of the stool, but that only made us laugh harder. It was nice to cry out of happiness. It was nice to not have control of my body because I was laughing much too hard. It was nice to not be depressed. When we stopped laughing we looked at each other; we smiled and slowly regained our normal breathing pattern.

We didn't talk for much longer. Lucius was summoned by the burning of his arm. He stood up, but before he apparated downstairs, I said, "Lucius?"

"Yes?"

I bit the inside of my lip, "I don't think Harry is going to win, I think Voldemort is going to be very, very successful for a very, very long time."

Lucius drew in a deep breath, "I agree."

"And I think that means that I'm never going to die. Ever. I'm convinced that I'm going to be stuck with him for the rest of human existence."

Lucius just nodded his head.

"Will you please do me a favor?"

"Of course."

I gulped and tried not to cry, "When you die, when you go up there, will you tell Draco that I love him?"

Lucius' left eye twitched. At first I thought he was mad at me, but he rushed over to me and hugged me tightly. He silently cried, "I will tell him."

I started to cry, too. "Thank you."

He didn't say anything else. He gave me a comforting squeeze before apparating down stairs to the Death Eater meeting. The second he disappeared, Voldemort appeared. I sighed and rolled my eyes, "What a surprise."

"Ha. Ha. Ha."

I resituated myself on the stool I was sitting on when I was playing a piano. "How long have you been lurking in this room?"

"I just—"

"Bull shit. You probably just made yourself invisible. How long have you been lurking?"

Voldemort laughed and sat down on the loveseat Lucius was previously seated on. "Long enough to know Lucius is still in mourning, but still a loyal follower." Voldemort eyed me, "Long enough to know you're not."

I stared right into his eyes, "I'm not sorry and you're not surprised."

Voldemort smirked, "I forgot that you're clever."

I stayed silent.

"You will be sleeping in our bed tonight, and every night from now on, unless I say otherwise."

"_Our_ bed?"

Voldemort chuckled and stood up, "Wasn't it you who told Bellatrix—?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Our vows. Whatever."

Voldemort ignored my comment and walked over to me. He pulled me up by my elbows. He smiled when I bumped into his chest. I placed my hands firmly against his chest and pushed away from me. He smirked down at me when I looked up at him. "Go take a shower. Don't take long. We're leaving after the meeting."

"Where are we going?"

"Don't worry your pretty head about it."

I sighed angrily, "I have a _right_ to know."

"I didn't say that."

"Just tell me."

He raised a brow.

"_Please?_ Please, my Lord?"

He smirked, but he still didn't say anything.

"Please _let_ me know, my Lord?"

He kissed my forehead. His lips were surprisingly warm and soft. "We're going out to dinner. Weasley and the mudblood have been captured. Many of my Death Eaters are making sure they stay. Potter should be arriving for them either later tonight, or sometime within the next few days, once he has some sort of plan."

I sighed, "Where could we possible go that—?"

"As much as I hate to, we'll be going to a muggle restaurant."

I stayed silent.

"Wear a nice dress. A warm one, too. It's been cold lately."

"Okay."

"Wear a green dress. I'll be wearing a green shirt."

"Dark green?"

"Of course."

I just nodded my head. I wish he'd let me out of his arms already.

"It's too bad, I've been picturing killing Potter at Hogwarts, but I'll get the job done just as easily here."

I stayed silent.

Voldemort kissed my forehead. He smirked when I tensed and took advantage of my lack of movement. He placed a surprisingly soft, slow kiss on my lips. I didn't respond until he viscously bit down on my bottom lip. I whimpered from the pain and immediately kissed him back. Voldemort smirked against my lips, felt me up, and then pulled away. "Go get ready for the night." He let go of me and immediately apparated down to the Death Eater meeting, no doubt giving them extreme and detailed instructions.

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**A/N: Please review!**

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**A/N: Scara1: ttfn psh.

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**A/N: MaryannTK: Thank you so much for your review! I'm doing my best so it isn't the typical love story. I have many surprises in store. MUHAHAHAHA. lol**


	3. Mutiny of Me

**Chapter Three: Mutiny of Me**

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Thankfully the meeting took quite a while; I had just enough time to wash my hair, shave the majority of my body, wash my body, and get ready. I kept my hair down, but I did pin it back a bit so it'd be out of my eyes and off of my face. I gave myself a curly version of side bangs, wore natural shades when putting on make-up, and found a green sweater dress laid out on the bed when I came out of the large bathroom. I magically dried off, sighed, rolled my eyes, and slipped into my desired undergarments before analyzing the dress. I slipped into it, walked over to the closest mirror, and looked myself over. The dress is silky on the outside, but it has a thin layer of not itchy wool on the inside to keep me warm. The style of the dress was surprisingly flattering; it was an off the shoulders dress, it emphasized my curves and waistline, and it ended at my knees. A pair of black stilettos was tossed near my feet while I smoothed out some of the crinkles of my dress.

Voldemort sucked in a deep breath, "It's been a long time since I've seen you dressed up."

I ignored him and carefully stepped into the heels. I looked at him over my shoulders and raked his body with my eyes. He's wearing somewhat tight black slacks with a silky, matching, dark green button up shirt. His black dress shoes were freshly polished, and his silver tie made me shiver.

Voldemort smirked at me, slid his right hand out of his pants pocket, and walked over to me. He put his right hand on my right shoulder, squeezed it and asked, "Are you ready to go?"

I could barely hear myself, "Where are we going?"

"To dinner. Any type of place you want."

"What?" What the hell did he mean, any place I want? Who is this outrageously gorgeous man and where is Voldemort?

Voldemort coolly slid his left hand out of his left pants pocket, gently ran it through his thick, dark brown hair, and repeated himself, "We'll go to any type of place you want."

I stared into hid midnight blue eyes after accidentally running my eyes up and down his handsome, symmetrical face. I guess I was silent too long, "Did you hear me, Neema?"

His smooth voice made me sick, "Yes, and I've also heard that the Devil comes disguised."

Voldemort laughed in his usual diabolical, shrill manner, "So you want hot foods?"

I successfully refrained from chuckling and kept a stern look on my face, "I want Italian food. I'd love some great raviolis right now."

"Then Italian food it shall be." Voldemort quickly wrapped his arms around me and apparated us out of the palace. The next thing I knew we were in a small town I've never seen before. He wrapped his right arm around my waist and walked us down the cobblestone street. The evening air was refreshingly cool, and the strong, but fresh smell of the ocean swirled around us. I looked up to see Voldemort cockily smirking,

"Where are we?"

Voldemort looked down at me with a strange twinkle in his eyes, "A small town near the ocean."

"In…?"

His smirk widened, "In Italy, of course."

I wasn't exactly shocked, but I was the tiniest bit surprised. There were plenty of places in England that we could have gone to, why did he bother to take us to Italy? I guess he could return to the palace, or go anywhere really, within a seconds time. But still, why did we go to Italy? Surely not to just please me or something actually considerate and sweet or anything. I bit the inside of my lip before squeaking out, "Why?"

Voldemort chuckled and kissed the top of my head, sending a shiver down my spine, "Because Italy has the best Italian food."

I rolled my eyes and slightly smiled, "_Naaaw._"

He half smirked, half smiled, "Quite surprising, right?"

I rolled my eyes and didn't allow my smile to widen, "Right."

Voldemort tightened the arm around me, but he didn't tighten it so much that it hurt. He walked us around the conversation filled streets. It was nice to hear normal people again. It was nice to hear people who weren't the epitome of evil or were driven by hate. The outdoor cafés were comfortably packed with groups of friends laughing over their desserts and their drinks. Voldemort quickly eyed the people there, and they stared at us. It's a small town, and we're two strangers. It's only natural for them to inspect us. Especially if it's a tightly knit community; Voldemort doesn't understand that people actually care about other people. Which is totally surprising, right?

Anyway, we walked up to a small, but surprisingly nice restaurant on the top of a small hill. It turns out Voldemort can't speak anything but English and Parsletongue, so I translated everything for us. I asked for a balcony seat; the cute waiter led us to a part of the balcony that was empty. He pulled out my chair for me and gently pushed it in. I thanked him, obviously in Italian, and served as a translator. He gave us several minutes to decide on what we wanted; I ordered raviolis stuffed with chicken and mushrooms, Voldemort ordered a ridiculously lavish sounding salmon dish. The waiter politely nodded, ordered our food, came back with our drinks, and then left us again. Voldemort drew in a deep breath of the crisp night air before saying,

"You look good tonight, Neema."

I turned my head to the right and gazed at the ocean. "Thank you."

He stared at me while I stared at the calm waves. The stars were reflected in the dark water, and the scent of the ocean was salty, but it was far from bad. The occasional breeze brushed my hair off of my shoulders and with the wind. I looked down at the other beautiful women in the town and then looked at Voldemort. He smirked, "You look worried."

I quickly responded, "I'm not."

His smirk widened and then he looked down at the gorgeous girls I was just looking at; he looked back up at me, "You like them?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't know them."

He chuckled, "Do you find them attractive?"

"Do you?"

He used a kind voice, but I knew he was beyond serious and annoyed. He's too moody and short fused for his own good, "Answer the question, Neemie."

"Yes. Do you?"

Voldemort looked down at them for a minute before looking back at me, "I think you're worried that I'll replace you."

I stayed silent.

He slowly inched his fingertips to the middle of the table. He opened his hands and nodded his head at me. I sighed in my mind and slid my hands into his. "Are you worried that I'll replace you one day?"

I drew in a deep breath, "If you put me through all of those horrors, made me live in fear, ruined my life, made me kill my husband, and forced me to live in fear everyday onward, and then you replaced me, I'd be pissed off. Especially since I can't die."

Voldemort laughed and squeezed my hands. "I'm never going to replace you, Neema. I'm quite fond of you."

I sighed and stared back at the ocean. The waves were moving slightly faster, "I'm not sure if I like hearing that."

Voldemort chuckled and stroked the backs of my hands with his thumbs. "You're the most beautiful woman in the world. And I've trained you too long, anyway."

I laughed and rolled my eyes, "Trained me?"

"Yes," he smirked again, "to be my woman. You're exactly what I want."

I sighed again and watched as the waves crawled up the shore and splashed against rocks. It seemed that the longer I stared at the ocean, the more violent the waves became. I felt guilty, as if it was somehow my doing, and I was ruining the town's beach or something like that. So I looked back at Voldemort; he was staring at me oddly. His head was slightly tilted to the left, a small smile stretched his pale, pinkish lips, and his eyes were half closed. I quietly cleared my throat; he chuckled, "I was enjoying your profile."

I smiled weakly, "I'm flattered."

"As well you should be."

I scoffed and let go of his hands. He angrily tightened his grip on my hands, but then he realized that our food was coming and let go. We ate in mostly silence; the food was amazing and we didn't have much to say to each other. I almost choked on a ravioli when he asked me about my period. I drank some water to force the rogue ravioli down before stuttering out, "Excuse me?"

His face remained expressionless, yet oddly soft, "Are you menstruating regularly?"

"Na—No."

"Why not?"

I gently shrugged my shoulders, "Probably because of all the stress I've been under."

"What stress?" He cut a piece of salmon with the side of his fork, "I've supplied you with every material possession you've ever wanted."

I put my fork down on the edge of my plate and let my jaw drop to the floor, "I've been completely depressed. Not only did I lose someone very close to my heart, fuck it, not only did I lose my heart, but I was forced to kill him! I've been grieving, okay? And I've been living in fear of you. And I _loathe_ your Death Eaters. And I don't get to see anyone besides them—"

"Okay, okay."

I sighed, "You're obviously not interested on how I feel about my situation."

"I like how you're living, so obviously I'm not interested."

I sighed again and went back to eating my raviolis.

After several awkwardly long, quiet minutes, he sighed, "Harry Potter should be coming around soon. After I kill him, taking over the wizarding world will be short and simple. I have most of it under my control, at least in England. You can do more when your outside world is more stable."

I arched my right brow, "More stable?"

Voldemort took another bite of his salmon before saying, "I don't want the world to know about us until the world is mine. I won't have others trying to take you from me. Even if it's just to distract me or something similar, they'll use you, and I can't have that."

I sat there stunned. I took a sip of my water before saying, "What?"

He looked into my confused eyes, "I won't have someone taking you from me. You belong to me."

I sighed, "And for a second I thought that you cared about me."

He shrugged, "Don't kid yourself. You'll just get depressed again, and that got old fast."

"Oh I'm _so _sorry for inconveniencing you."

"As well you should be."

I sighed loudly and put my fork down. I ate the majority of my food, so I didn't feel bad about not eating all of it. Voldemort ate the majority of his food, too. We stayed there so long we ended up craving dessert, so we split a warm chocolate cake with white chocolate drizzled over it. The cake was warm, and the contrast between the white chocolate and the chocolate of the cake was amazing. The white chocolate was cool and the cake was warm, making the dessert even better. We were only half way done when Voldemort got up, rushed over to the waiter, and paid for our meal. Apparently he was being called at the palace. Voldemort rushed us down the hill to an empty area and then apparated us back to the palace. He apparated us in our room and told me, "You are to stay in this room unless I come and get you. Do you understand?"

I was scared and confused, but I said, "Yes."

"Are you going to try to leave?"

"No."

He smiled and kissed my forehead, "I'll be back soon."

I gulped, "Oh—okay."

Voldemort rushed out of the room and magically locked the door behind him. He but a magical barrier on all the other entrances to the room before he left; I'm not sure if it was to keep me in or to keep others out. I didn't want to think about what was happening, though, so I quickly got undressed, washed my face, and took a shower. I sat around in a pair of sweat pants and a white, cotton shirt for a long time. I couldn't focus on any book or magazine, I couldn't find something to do, and I was afraid to think too much, so I laid down on my side of the bed. I've been sleeping in my armchair in my personal library for a while now; I forgot how great a bed could feel, especially a bed as fantastic as this. The second I got comfortable was the second my lids were too heavy to keep open. I yawned, snuggled my large, plush pillow, and quickly drifted to sleep.

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A light much too bright to be any lamp in the palace temporarily blinded me. I rolled over and found myself on the clean white sand of a beach. Foamy seawater swirled around my ankles as I sat up and yawned. I jumped up a bit when someone plopped down next to me. He chuckled and said, "Calm down, Neema."

I snapped my head to the left, "Draco?"

He smiled at me.

I quickly wrapped my arms tightly around him and cried out, "Oh Draco! Oh Draco! I've missed you so much! Am I dead? Tell me I'm dead and I'm with you."

Draco hugged me back and kissed the top of my head, "You're not dead, but you're with me. Just for a little while though."

I squeezed him and nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck. Draco smiled and gently tilted my face up to his. He gently kissed me on the lips before happily sighing. We slowly kissed for a long time. When we pulled away we lazily looked up at each other and smiled rather goofily. I kissed his neck and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you, too." He wrapped a few loose hairs of mine around his left index finger and tucked the hairs behind my right ear. "I've been watching you."

I giggled and held him tighter, "That sounded creepy."

Draco laughed, "I know, but I have. And I miss you and I wish I could be with you."

"You are," I sighed, "we're not interacting, but I think about you all the time. So you're sort of with me."

Draco smiled while a few tears started to form in his happy, sharp, grey eyes. "I feel like a stalker, all I do is watch you and listen to you and yell at the people around you, but no one listens to me."

I laughed and stared up at him. It's been too long since I've seen his handsome, pale face. The sun made his platinum blonde hair heavenly glow. His mouth was stretched into a large smile, and his eyes were never so happy to see me. We stared at each other for a long while before I asked him, "Give me some good news, please. I've just been depressed and angry. I've been too depressed to eat or sleep."

"I know; that's why I haven't been able to visit you."

I gave him a curious look and hugged him tighter, "What do you mean?"

Draco smiled and kissed me sweetly on the lips. When he pulled away he breathed, "My God, I love you."

I giggled and gave him a quick kiss, "I love you, too."

Draco smiled, "I can only visit you in your dreams. And you haven't been sleeping, so I haven't been able to see you."

I nuzzled my face into his neck, "Then I'll go into a coma."

Draco laughed, "You need to start eating and drinking water again."

"Why? I can't die."

"I know, but it's not for you."

I rolled my eyes, "Am I eating and drinking for you then?"

Draco smirked somewhat deviously, "In a sense."

"Draco, I don't benefit from it—"

Draco kissed the tip of my nose, "Do you remember that contraceptive spell your mother put on you?"

I sighed, "Yes."

His smile widened and his white teeth glistened from the sunlight, "Can you tell me what cancels that spell out? Or makes it temporarily useless?"

I sighed again, "No."

"I can."

"Please just tell me. I'm too exhausted to guess."

Draco squeezed me, "Long story short, you're pregnant."

I laughed, "What are you talking about?"

Draco smiled and gently rubbed my stomach through my thin white shirt, "The last time we had sex, I impregnated you."

I sat there in shock. In absolute, confused, shock. "Wha—What are you talking about?"

Draco's smile didn't fade, "You're three months along now."

"But Voldemort will kill it—!"

"No," Draco lovingly stroked my right cheek with his left hand, "he can't. He can't. Don't ask me why or how."

I just stared at him. "Wha—I… I don't understand, Draco. I mean, he can't hurt it, in me or out?"

"Right. Our child can only die of natural causes."

"I… How am I supposed to tell Voldemort?"

"Don't," Draco laughed, "just wait for a doctors appointment or something. I'm sure he'll get you one, he's curious why you haven't had your period."

I drew in a deep breath and rested against his chest. He felt better than I remember him ever feeling. He was firm, but he was soft. He was warm, but he was cool, too. Draco slowly laid us down and held me lovingly against his chest. I sighed happily and stared up at him. He smiled down at me and ran his right hand through my thick hair. He carefully entangled his hand in my hair and brought my face up to his. We kissed for a long time. I ran my hands through his hair, down his face, and everywhere I could reach. I needed to know that it was real, that this really was more than a dream. And I knew I'd find out once I got a pregnancy test, but for now, I'm more than confused. Far more than confused. What if this is just a sick joke played on me by Voldemort? What if my mind has had enough of a Draco-less life?

Even though our eyes were closed, the light gradually became excruciatingly bright. Draco pulled away and kissed my forehead. He smiled and said, "Neema,"

I smiled down at him, "Draco,"

Draco cupped my face in his hands, making me smile wider. "I love you more than anything."

I quietly cried from joy, "I love you _much_ more than anything."

His smile widened, "I'm going to visit your dreams as much as I can."

I kissed him softly and quickly on the lips, "I'll be waiting."

Draco blissfully sighed softly, "I have to go now, but you have to know a few things."

I was immediately sad, but I knew I couldn't be here with him forever, so I didn't try to talk him into staying. "What do I need to know?"

"First thing," He drew in a deep breath, "is that this child, in the womb or out, cannot be hurt by Voldemort. There is no physical thing that he can do, or order anyone to do. The only way our child can die is by natural causes."

I smiled, "That is a huge relief."

Draco nodded, "You have to start being healthy again, though."

"I will."

Draco stole a quick kiss, making me giggle. He chuckled before saying, "I know you don't want to, but if you want to stop being miserable, you'll have to do as Voldemort tells you to do."

I sighed, "I'll be miserable as long as I'm not with you."

Draco squeezed me and slowly stood up. He held me up by wrapping his arms around my waist, and slowly put me down on the sand. I wiggled my toes in the sand and looked down. I realized I was in a white, short dress, and Draco was in white, cotton shorts that end at his knees. Draco picked me up again and slowly spun me around. "He's not going to have you forever, I promise that you'll die one day, and you'll be with me again. And it'll feel like forever, but it'll feel even longer if you don't start trying to like him."

I bit the inside of my lip, "You're telling me to like a psychopathic—"

"Yes, pretend to love him. Hell, develop Stockholm's and think you actually do love him."

I laughed.

Draco laughed, "Trust me, it'll be better for you if you do. Don't feel guilty about it, and don't feel disgusted with yourself. Just do it, but do it gradually, or else he'll think something is up. And that's because something is." Draco laughed again, "He doesn't have a lot of patience left for you mourning me, and he's going to become a lot worse than he's ever been to you if you don't start liking him."

I gulped and wrapped my arms tightly around him. "Okay, but I'll always only truly love you."

"I know," He kissed me again, "I know. Everyone knows up here." He smiled widely, "I have to go, Neemie, but I'll back as soon as I can."

I cried, I'm not really sure why or out of what emotion, but I cried. I clung onto him for a moment more and said, "Okay. Okay. Okay."

Draco squeezed me once more before letting me go. I stopped squeezing him to me so he could walk off. The light was much too bright for me to watch him leave, so I just closed my eyes.

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A loud bang jolted me to consciousness. I immediately sat up and unhurriedly rubbed my eyes. I yawned and squeezed my eyes closed before slowly opening them. Lamp light flooded the room from the hallway, and Voldemort was standing at the open door, the one he no doubt slammed open, with an insane smirk on his face. "Get up, Neema."

I yawned again and slid out of bed.

Voldemort practically ran over to my closet and threw a bra, a pair of my black Dickies and my Gryffindor red, sleeveless shirt at me. I immediately put the pants on and bra, but I carefully put the shirt on. The shirt had a collar like the classic shirts and dresses in Chinese culture, you know those beautiful, tight collared, silk type of shirts. The shirt had long, sanded and shined talon looking buttons that slipped under a surprisingly secure, thick, black thread. I hooked the buttons under the thread and shivered as the magical security charm washed over the shirt so that the buttons wouldn't slip out or pop open.

Voldemort tossed a pair of matching red heels at me. I caught them and hurriedly put them on. He grabbed my right hand in his left and ran down the stairs, but when we reached the ridiculously large dinning room, he stopped, drew in a deep breath, and ran a hand through his hair. I looked up at him and saw that the insane smile he waltzed into the room with was accompanied by a happy, but extremely sick glint in his eyes. He smiled down at me and said, "Don't embarrass me."

I squeaked out, "Okay, I won't."

Voldemort smiled wider, "Good." He magically opened the large doors to the dinning room. I gasped as my eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. What was probably a hellish battle scene was decorated into a dark celebration. In some sort of protective ball of magic was the body of Harry Potter. It was floating around, and there was no doubt that he was dead. I looked up at Voldemort and whispered, "How?"

He laughed; the sound of his shrill, dark, growl of a laugh made everyone freeze in whatever way they were standing. All eyes were on us, so he pointed his wand at his throat. His voice boomed in the dinning room, making me cringe for a minute, "There are no more obstacles for us now." Voldemort let go of me and casually walked around, "Who would have guessed that the night I tried to kill him years ago, a part of my soul went into his filthy, unworthy body?"

Everyone was silent.

His smile widened, if that's possible. "Unfortunately my first killing curse on him tonight rid him of my soul, but no matter!" He jumped up into his next step, "Horcruxes are beneath me! I am immortal, and now we will dominate the Earth and rid it of its scum!"

Everyone in the room, except for me, cheered and clapped.

"Tonight is the beginning of forever, my _dear_ Death Eaters. Tonight was Harry Potter, tomorrow, the world!"

They all clapped again. Green and black confetti rained down on us from the ceiling. The magical ball around Harry disappeared. I looked away when I saw Nagini slither over to him. Voldemort walked back to me and wrapped his left arm around my waist, squeezing me to his side. "For those of you who don't know, this beautiful woman is my wife. You will respect her and recognize her as my wife. All and any of those who attempt any sort of harm or disrespect towards her will suffer. Is that clear?"

They all said yes in unison.

Voldemort smiled again, "Good." He squeezed me into his side again and started to walk around. He talked with many Death Eaters, giving them all specific assignments to accomplish. He put Lucius in charge of the ministry, AKA, to make sure what Voldemort wants for the ministry to happen, since he's already been a part of it for so many years. He told the most important of the Death Eaters to return to the palace tomorrow morning at eight to discuss the official going about of the reorganization of the Wizarding World in the U.K.

After the meeting, he and I were to go to Hogwarts. He wanted to make sure Snape was running the place efficiently and the way he was instructed to, and he wanted to start recruiting young Death Eaters. He was going to "get rid" of the muggle borns there. Whether that meant murder them or just kick them out, I don't know. Probably the former than the latter, but I could hope for the latter anyway. Voldemort told me as we randomly started to dance to an orchestra I was positive wasn't there when we walked in, that he was going to inform them of Harry's death and defeat, and that all purebloods had the option of joining the Death Eaters once they graduate, or death. Voldemort said that he was going to allow all the half bloods to remain at Hogwarts as long as they paid full tuition. Then he told me that he was going to make Slytherin the official House of Hogwarts. That's when I whispered,

"I think that's a bad idea."

His grip around me tightened as he looked down at me, "Why?"

I gulped, "I think that people will become much more useful if they are in a learning environment that suits them."

He blinked, "Explain."

I gulped again, "For example, Ravenclaws are much more serious than Gryffindors, and Hufflepuffs are much more gullible than Slytherins. If you mix them all into one large house, the kids will destroy each other and will never fully develop their skills."

"The best wizards and witches are found in Slytherin."

I sighed softly, "I'm not going to argue about who is greater than whom, all I'm saying is that they will become more useful to you if you allow them to grow in an environment that tends to their needs. Gryffindors are usually rather goofy. We like to have fun. Ravenclaws are usually rather serious. They like to focus on their academics. Slytherins are usually plotting something—"

Voldemort laughed.

"And they like to focus on themselves and what they need. The children would be extremely unhappy to be in one house together. Someone who would be a Gryffindor would be constantly pranking the would be Ravenclaw, and the would be Hufflepuff would probably be extremely upset and the Slytherin would be laughing at them all. In the most introverted way possible, of course."

Voldemort laughed again, "I suppose you make sense."

"I think you should consider my reasoning, my Lord."

Voldemort smirked, "I will."

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**A/N: Please review!**

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**A/N: scara1: I do what I want. PSH. PSH. PSH.**

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**A/N: alicam: I know, poor Neema. But I promise to give her a happy ending. C:**

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**A/N: If you've ever reviewed on My Derailment or either of the first two chapters here, thank you so much! I love reviews! They make writing on here worth it. I love to know what your guys' reaction to whatever I post. *big hug for reviewers* **


	4. Here Goes Nothing

**Chapter Four: Here Goes Nothing

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**A/N: I made this chapter long since I don't know if I'll be able to update soon. So please review!

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I didn't sleep much last night, mostly because we went to bed at three in the morning. Voldemort woke me up at seven thirty and said, "We're leaving for Hogwarts at eleven. Be ready to go then."

I yawned out, "Okay," and rolled over. I immediately fell back asleep, but I didn't have any dreams. I woke up at ten, more than slightly disappointed, and slowly got out of bed. I was thankful that my surprise pregnancy didn't give me morning sickness and took the longest pee of my life. Well, I guess I'm _leaving_ a pee, not taking one. So shouldn't we say that we're leaving pees and not taking pees? Oh whatever. The point is that I peed for a very long time before I could hop in the shower. I quickly washed my hair and body, hopped out, magically dried my body, and saw that I only had ten more minutes until eleven. Where in the world my time went, I don't know. I didn't have time to put on any make-up, so I just tossed my hair into a surprisingly classy bun and wiggled into my black, distressed skinny jeans. I was going to start to show soon. My mother didn't show until her fourth or fifth month in. Hopefully I'm the same way so I don't have to go shopping for maternity clothes for a while.

I ended up sliding my feet into a pair of red flats and wore a long sleeve, matching red shirt. Just as I was pulling the shirt over my head, Voldemort waltzed in and said, "Are you ready?"

I grabbed my wand and slid it into my bun before turning to look at him. His dress shoes, his slacks, his belt, and his long sleeve, button up shirt are all black. The only article of clothing he's wearing that isn't black seems to be his long, Slytherin Green tie. "I…uhm…" I gulped, "I think so. I mean, I am, unless I need a jacket."

Voldemort walked over to my closet, looked around for a minute, and then grabbed a black hoodie. He tossed it near me; I took one step forward and grabbed it. I quickly put it on, folded the cuffs back, and then walked over to Voldemort. He smiled cockily and opened his arms. I stopped walking a foot away from him and asked, "Why are you bringing me?"

He rolled his eyes, "To introduce you. The world is mine now. The ministry is already reorganizing. All mudbloods and those who prefer treason have been disposed."

"Are you… introducing me as your wife?"

"Of course."

"Then what's my last name?"

"What?"

I drew in a deep breath, "My maiden name is Saravia. My most recent name is Malfoy. Is my new one Riddle?"

Voldemort drew his hand up as if he was about to bitch slap me, but he just breathed angrily, "Don't you ever use that name—!"

"I'm sorry!" I shouted and quickly stepped into his chest. I cuddled against him and nuzzled my face into his chest, "I'm sorry, my Lord. Please don't punish me."

Voldemort smirked, "_Punish?_"

I gulped. I'd knee him in the balls if it wouldn't be more trouble than it was worth, and Draco did tell me to just go along with all of this, to just do as he says. And even though I hate this asshat, I have a child now. I need to be healthy, and he won't let me do that if I'm not cooperative. I doubt he'll want me to have my child, but he can't stop it or hurt it, and if I kiss his ass enough he might just let me live with my child. I mean, if I pretend to be smitten with him, and he continues to 'grow fond of me' then things could actually be pretty good for me. "I was out of line, my Lord, and for that one must be punished."

He chuckled, "When did you have the epiphany?"

I gulped, "Would you believe last night?"

Voldemort chuckled again. He wrapped his arms loosely around my waist and said, "I could believe that."

I drew in a deep breath, "Do you?"

He gently swayed me from side to side and nuzzled his face cautiously into my hair, careful not to ruin my bun. He drew in a deep breath and said, "Yes, I believe you."

I sighed out of relief and slid my hands up his torso and around his neck. He smirked as I said, "Thank you… my husband."

I obviously just scored some points since he cupped my face in his right hand and brought my lips to his. He slowly walked us to a near by dresser; the top ended at just the right height to pick me up, put me on it, and be eye to eye. He stopped kissing me long enough to put me on the dresser and put his hands an inch away from my outer thighs. His kisses almost instantly became rougher than before. They were faster than before, and he tapped my bottom lip with his tongue within the first thirty seconds into the kiss. I parted my lips just enough for him to slide his tongue into my mouth. Voldemort smirked and tickled the roof of my mouth with his tongue. It felt weird and I didn't know how to react, so I did the same thing to him. He pulled away and chuckled. He kissed me once on the lips, and then the corner of my mouth, and then down to my jaw line. He kissed up my jaw line up to my left ear. He nibbled on my ear lobe and then started to kiss a very sensitive spot on my neck. I groaned and wrapped my arms around his neck. He smirked against my skin and huskily said,

"You like that?"

I sighed, "Mmhmm."

He chuckled and started to kiss my neck again.

I groaned and said, "We're going to be late if we don't leave now."

Voldemort groaned out of displeasure. "If I'm late then Death Eaters think it's okay to be late. So I guess we do have to leave now."

I cheered for myself inside my mind, but stopped when he said,

"We'll just have to finish this when we come home tonight."

I kept my face expressionless, "Okay."

Voldemort smirked and hugged me into his chest and apparated us into Snape's new office, the headmaster office. Snape was sitting at his desk doing tedious paperwork, but stopped when we appeared in his office. He stood up, walked to the left side of his desk, and then bowed at the waist, "Good morning, my Lord." Snape stood up and then bowed again, "Good morning, my Lady."

"Good morning, Snape. Is the Great Hall ready for Neema and me?"

"Yes sir, it is ready whenever you are."

Voldemort wrapped his right arm tightly around my waist and walked over to Snape's desk. He took his time looking over all the papers and files, making sure everything was going according to plan. I didn't pay a lot of attention to them until Snape asked, "My Lord, what about the muggle borns?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Severus, they can't stay here."

"What are you going to do with them?"

They both looked at me. Voldemort smirked, "What do you usually do with things that hold no worth?"

I gulped, "I give them a chance to prove me wrong."

Voldemort laughed and rolled his eyes. He kissed my forehead and said, "You're cute, Neemie, you really are."

I sighed, "You can't control the birth of muggle borns—"

"But I can get rid of the mudbloods that already exist."

"How? Killing them all?"

"What do you suggest?" His voice started to rise, "Make them second class citizens?"

"You can't make them second class citizens—"

"Why?" Voldemort was starting to become humored. He let go of me and sat down on Snape's desk with one leg swinging absent-mindedly. "Why can't I?"

I drew in a deep breath before saying, "It's all over history. The French Revolution, who did that? Those who wanted democracy. Who wanted it? Those who weren't part of the elite."

Voldemort nodded.

"And then there's the American Revolution, probably the most successful revolution in modern history."

He nodded again.

"The colonists were treated like second class citizens by the British. On top of that they were taxed and taxed and taxed. Obviously that's not a good choice either."

Voldemort chuckled, smirked, and then nodded. "What do you propose we do?"

"What do you mean _we?_"

Voldemort laughed at me, "You and I, Neemie. You're a part of this now. You even proved it just now."

I shouted, "How did I prove _anything?_"

He laughed again, "By discussing the politics behind my options. You're a part of this now, Neema. So what do you propose we do?"

I drew in a deep breath and crossed my arms against my chest, "Mark them, don't kill them."

"_Mark_ them—?"

"Not with the Dark Mark, but something else."

Voldemort was silent for a minute or two. "Like what?"

"I don't know—"

"A number?"

"No, no, no."

He smirked, "Why not?"

I sighed and sat down on a near by stool. "You can't treat them like _numbers,_ you can't give them obvious reasons to want to rise against you. Give them…" I was silent for thirty seconds, "give them some sort of generic mark. They'll all have the same one."

"Where?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. You pick."

Voldemort laughed, "And how will we sort them out from the rest? How will we treat them differently?"

"I don't know, this is something that should be talked about for a much longer time then a few hours in Snape's office."

He laughed again and stood up. He walked over to me and said, "Lets go to the Great Hall. I'll tell the muggle borns that those who pay full tuition may stay. Out of those who stay, their classes will be separated from the half and purebloods."

"And what about the _half_-bloods?"

Voldemort wrapped his left arm around my waist as I slid off of the stool. We walked out of the office with Snape a few feet behind us. Voldemort sighed and said, "I'll tell them that they may stay if they can pay _at least_ half of full tuition, and those who stay will be separated from the muggle borns and purebloods."

"And what will happen to the purebloods."

"They'll be kicked out, of course."

I stayed silent.

Voldemort stopped walking in order to laugh. "Of course they can stay, Neemie." He kissed the top of my head while smiling, "They don't have to pay any tuition. The best classes will be reserved for them, of course I won't tell them that, I'll let them experience it."

I sighed, "I'm going to laugh if you get owned by a bunch of school kids."

He tightened his grip around my waist, "I killed a _bunch of school kids_ just last night. I'll do it again, I'll do it for the rest of my eternal life."

I sighed again, "You're hurting me."

"Good."

I rolled my eyes and let him drag me to the Great Hall. The doors opened with a single wave of his left hand. All the students shot up from their seated positions, and no one dared to speak. The majority of them probably did that out of fear, but about a third were genuinely excited to see him. I shivered when I saw the excited children; I wanted to die when I saw the ones who were convinced I wanted to be this. Voldemort walked us up to the staff table and took a seat on a ridiculously decorated throne. He told me to sit on the smaller one to his left. I did so with hesitance.

He looked at all the students with a smirk, stood back up, and then started to speak to them. He told them to sit down while he firmly grabbed the sides of the owl podium. He smirked at the fearful faces, especially when he wordlessly transfigured the owl on the podium into a large, golden snake. He levitated his wand near his throat and said, "Good afternoon, students."

No one said anything, so I said, "Good afternoon, sir."

Voldemort smirked and then looked at me over his left shoulder, "Before I explain to you all the new way this school is going to run, I'm going to introduce you to my wife."

A few people quietly gasped.

Voldemort's smirk widened. He pointed to me while slightly turning his body, "Some of you may already know her, Neema… Neema Gaunt."

I cringed and wished that he had gone with Riddle.

"Anyway," Voldemort turned back to the crowd of seated students, "Starting this year, there will be a few changes in Hogwarts." He explained the new basics of the new acceptance system; all those too poor to pay were to leave tonight. He explained that the houses will remain untouched, but the classes will be divided somewhat differently than before. He went on to explain new rules and whatnot, but I didn't pay him much attention. I zoned out again, that is, until Neville shot up and shouted,

"What happened to Draco?"

Voldemort sighed, "Neema killed him. Now sit down."

Everyone was stunned.

Neville gulped, "No."

Voldemort drew in a deep breath, "Sit down right now, boy, or you'll be the first example—"

"No!" Neville shouted and then looked at me, "I knew you were a whore! I knew it! You're just a lying whore! Did it feel good to kill him, whore?"

"That's enough!" Voldemort roared and grabbed his wand from near his throat.

I jumped up out of my seat and stormed down the steps. Voldemort stared at me while I approached Neville and told him, "I just loved it, Neville. I just _loved_ being forced to kill my soul mate. It was great! It was so great, Neville, that I orgasmed. I didn't just orgasm though, I fucking came 'till I blacked out. And when I woke up I was the wife of Voldemort, and I came again!"

Neville just stared at me with his mouth hanging open.

I jumped into the punch in the face I gave him. I popped him in the jaw so hard that not only did his face turn with the force, but I knocked out a tooth. He cried out from the pain, making Voldemort chuckle. I drew in a deep breath and said, "Don't you dare judge me or label me off." I looked up at the shocked and fearful crowd, "Don't any of you dare to fucking judge me! No one here knows what I've been through! No one has lived like I have had to! Next person to label me off like this is gonna get more than a punch in the face!" I practically stomped back up to the staff table and took a seat.

Voldemort erupted with laughter and said, "Aren't you feisty?"

I sighed, "I suppose so."

He half smiled, half smirked, and quietly watched while Neville silently cried and picked up his tooth. He pocketed it and probably decided to go to the hospital wing after Voldemort's visit. Voldemort drew in a deep breath and continued his speech. He gave Neville a public punishment for disobedience towards him and disrespect towards me. The students and staff alike watched with horror. The punishment went on for a good three minutes before I walked up to Voldemort and quietly begged him to stop. Voldemort ignored me at first, but then I tenderly tugged on his free hand and bit my bottom lip the way I know he likes. He sighed and lifted the curse off of Neville. I quietly asked him to dismiss Neville to the Hospital Wing. He invaded my thoughts to tell me, "_I cannot be perceived in that manner._"

I sighed and said, "Then say I want him to go."

Voldemort rolled his eyes and said, "I want to get laid tonight, so Neville, you may go to the Hospital Wing."

The one third of students that were excited to see him laughed along with his Death Eaters. I rolled my eyes.

He squeezed me to his side and laughed at me. He kissed the top of my head and said loudly, "You're more fun when you're willing."

I rolled my eyes again. A few of the girls cringed, some guys gulped out of disgust towards Voldemort, and the excited third grinned. I considered killing them, but that would reinforce the point I was trying _not_ to make. You know, the one where I was a crazy murder and whore.

Voldemort sighed and led us back to our thrones. We ate lunch at Hogwarts, but our lunch was extremely extravagant. The regular lunch is already pretty nice, but my God, ours was ridiculous. We had _lobster _for Chrissake. I struggled with the absurdly tough shell, so Voldemort chuckled and cleaned the lobster for me. I sighed and thanked him. He stole a kiss from me while I thanked him; he smirked and I blushed. It felt, dare I say, nice. His lips are soft and skilled, and Draco did tell me to like these things. And damnit, this son of a bitch is my husband! I didn't want that, but I'm stuck with it, so I'll like it if I want to!

I quietly ate my lunch and eavesdropped on Voldemort while he spoke with Snape on the reorganization of Hogwarts. All the students eyeballed us in all sorts of ways. Most of them judged me, I could tell, but I really didn't care anymore. When our lunch was over we stayed for an extra hour, but Voldemort let me go be with my friends Gina and Katrina. I waltzed into the dorm room we all used to share and plopped onto the bed that used to be mine. Gina and Katrina jumped up from their seats and plopped down on top of me. I gasped from their sudden attack and laughed when they rolled off of me. They're both purebloods, so their stay at Hogwarts isn't threatened.

I sat up and crossed my legs, "Hey guys."

They smiled at me and said in unison, "What the hell is happening?"

I laughed and hugged them again. "Well… Harry was murdered last night."

They gulped. Katrina asked, "Was he really? We all heard about it… did you see it happen?"

"No," tears started to form in my eyes, "he locked me in our room—"

Gina raised her right brow, "_Our?_"

I bit down on my bottom lip, "Yeah. He had us married, so we share a room."

"Oh…" Gina shuddered, "Does that mean you two have sex a lot?"

Katrina refrained from laughing.

"He actually let me mourn Draco and hasn't done anything with me. Today I kissed his ass and we ended up making out, and he said later today or some time tonight we're going to bang—"

Gina interrupted me, "Yeah, he made that pretty clear in the Great Hall."

Katrina and I laughed.

"Yeah… Like… I…." I sighed, "I just… he's really good at it. And I mean _really _good at it. You know? Like…. FUCK!"

They laughed at me.

"I hate him, don't get any other ideas. But he has some serious skills in the sack, plus I had this dream about Draco…"

"Oh do tell!" Katrina leaned into her lap.

I told them both all about what Draco told me and how I'm extremely worried about my baby, but I figure if I act like I don't know about it until I get an exam, I'll be fine. Especially if I kiss Voldemort's ass and pretend I'm super into him. They both were as against the whole idea as I was, but did agree that it really was the best thing for me to do. I smiled and said to lighten the mood, "Hey, if I pretend to be super smitten with him, maybe you two can extremely enjoy your last year here."

Gina grinned, "How? Are you going to send us super _hawt _Death Eaters to—?"

I laughed and said, "I seriously doubt that. But I can probably pull some strings for you guys."

Katrina frowned with approval and nodded, "That'd be cool. The hot Death Eaters will only be appreciated if they have large penises and excellent sexual skills."

I erupted with laughter, "What if their skills are beyond words, but their penis is on the small side?"

She bobbed her head from left to right, "That would be alright, but the large penised Death Eaters are favored."

I laughed while Gina agreed.

I ended up spending all day with Gina and Katrina. They promised to make sure that the members of the Gryffindor House know my real story, and that they'll kick the ass of anyone who speaks of me differently. We hung out at the Black Lake for a while, but it was getting cold fast, so we strolled around Hogsmeade and drank a couple of butter beers. They're nonalcoholic, so I can drink them while pregnant. They bought a lot of candy from several stores in Hogsmeade, and sang me parts of that horrible and annoying song by Danity Kane, Bad Girl. They jokingly and goofily sucked on lollipops while I did my best to ignore them. I walked away from them and laughed while buying a lot of newly published books from a bookshop next door to the last candy store we were at. Voldemort sighed and rolled his eyes when I struggled with the large box of books. He grabbed the box out of my hands once I entered Snape's office. I smiled and said, "Thank you, my Lord."

He didn't look too pleased with me, but he wasn't mad. "Why do you read so much?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, sir, I just like it."

He smiled, "I used to read a lot, too, when I was young."

I shuddered, "Gaah. I forgot that you're old."

Voldemort scoffed and Snape smirked out of amusement. "I'm sixty-eight, I'd hardly call that old."

I cringed, "_Eww._"

"What?" He was suddenly very upset, "What's so gross?"

"I'm _seventeen_ and you're _sixty-eight_—"

"I look twenty!"

"But you're still old."

Voldemort rolled his eyes, "I can look it if you'd like—"

"That won't be necessary."

Voldemort laughed, "I'm going to look twenty forever. You're going to look twenty forever, too. Stop thinking about our actual ages since they really don't matter."

I sighed and grabbed the thick file Snape prepared for Voldemort off of the desk. Voldemort smirked as I tucked it safely under my right arm and put my left hand on his right arm. Voldemort gave Snape one last instruction and I told him goodbye seconds before Voldemort apparated us back to the palace. He apparated us into his personal study; I placed the file on the middle of his desk and walked over to him. He smirked and slowly slid the box of books into my arms, "Tell your house elf to put these up. She knows the system in there better than you do, if that's possible."

I rolled my eyes and smiled, "Thank you, Volders."

He laughed.

I bit my bottom lip out of fear.

He smirked.

"Volders?"

"Hmm?"

I gulped, "Is there another name I could call you?"

His jaws tensed, "I suppose you could call me 'Voldie'."

I gulped again and sat the box of books down near my feet. I put my left hand on my left hand and ran my right hand from my collar bone to the back of my neck. "I just… _Voldemort_ is such a long name, and quite frankly, it scares me."

He chuckled.

"And I am your wife before a loyal follower."

He chuckled again, "A loyal follower?"

I shrugged, "I always liked purebloods more."

He laughed and then sighed, "Go on."

"I'd like to be able to call you something else. Something shorter, or at least something less scary; I'll call you Voldemort in public, but when it's just you and me…" I looked up into his midnight blue eyes, "It'd be nice to feel like your wife instead of your sex slave."

Voldemort laughed and then walked to me. He loosely wrapped his arms around my waist and sighed, "You haven't been my sex slave in a long time now."

I sighed and relaxed against his body. I absent-mindedly squeezed his biceps as I nuzzled my face comfortably into his chest. "When did you make this decision?"

He tightened his hold on me, but he didn't hurt me, "When you left for your sixth year. It was terrible to not have you around. If you were just sex I wouldn't have been so bothered."

I looked up at him, "You don't love me."

He nodded, "I don't, but I still care for you. Much more than I ever expected or planned to."

I smiled, "I can live with that."

He smiled down at me, "Good."

I sighed, moved my head back to the way I was before looking up at him, and closed my eyes. I breathed in his unnaturally sweet scent and listened to his heartbeat. How was it possible to live forever? How can a human manipulate a body like that? How could this heart never stop? Never get tired?

"You can call me Mort."

"Mort means death."

"Is that not appropriate for me?"

I laughed, "I just don't like it any better."

Voldemort chuckled and then said, "You can call me Marvolo."

"That's still rather long."

He sighed, "How about Marv?"

I drew in a deep breath and thought it over, "I could go with that."

"Good," he kissed the top of my head. "You will call me Voldemort when we are not alone."

"Do house elves count?"

"No," He laughed, "House elves don't count. If we're in the presence of another human you will call me Voldemort. If we are in the presence of a magical beast you are to call me Voldemort. I'll tell you if you may call me Marv when we are not alone."

"Okay," I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck and stood on my tiptoes. I kissed him quickly on the lips; he blushed from me stealing a kiss. He was actually so shocked that I'd kiss him that his arms around me significantly loosened. I backed up and grabbed my box of books off of the floor. I slowly walked passed him and ever so slightly swayed my hips as I walked away. He stared at me while I left his study and walked across the hall to my library. My personal house elf, Daisy, was asleep in a comfortable armchair I had made just for her. I gently tapped her on the shoulder and apologized for startling her. She yawned and slid out of her chair.

"Did mistress buy more books?"

I smiled, "Yes, I don't care when you put them away, but Voldemort will probably be upset if they're not put away soon."

She shuddered at his name and walked over to the box. She snapped her fingers so that the box would levitate and follow her while she took the books out and put them away in their correct sections. I followed her around and talked to her, "Daisy?"

"Yes, mistress?"

"What kind of person would I be if I made myself enjoy being the wife of the Dark Lord?"

She stopped walking for a moment and thought it over. Over the last few months, Daisy and I have become pretty close. Her previous owner, Bellatrix, was absolutely horrid to her, so she was pretty scared of me for a few weeks, especially since I am the wife of Voldemort, but I have proven that I'm not an asshat, so she trusts me now. I spend the majority of my time in here, so I taught her how to read to a higher level so she could really read more than just to be able to accomplish tasks. I don't abuse her, and since she belongs to me, no one else is allowed to abuse her. I suppose Voldemort is allowed to, I mean, I can't exactly tell him no very often. Bellatrix kicked her out of her way once, so I crucioed her. I didn't really enjoy the curse; it felt wrong flowing through my body, but I had to get the point across: stop fucking with me.

"Daisy thinks that mistress would be making the right choice."

"Why?"

Daisy climbed up a near by stepladder and put away several books. "Mistress is going to be with him forever, mistress should make the best of it, even if she doesn't like him."

I laughed and ran my hands from my collarbone to the back of my neck. "I miss Draco, Daisy, but I'm not going to see him for a long time, and I'm sure he wants me to try and enjoy being with Voldemort. I'm sure he wants me to have the best life possible, and to do that I'd have to become smitten with Voldemort."

"Daisy thinks that Draco wants you to be happy. Daisy thinks that you should like your new husband. It would be best for you."

I nodded, "Thanks, Daisy."

"My pleasure, mistress."

I sat down in my usual armchair while she continued to put away books. I picked up the latest book I was reading, Gulliver's Travels. I read it for about an hour before I started to get sleepy. I book marked my page with the cute bookmark Daisy made me the other day: a green strip of cardstock with handmade, fake daisies securely and cleanly glued onto it. I told her goodnight as I walked out and told her she could read any of the books in the library as long as she doesn't fold or bend the pages, and basically doesn't do anything that would surely injure the book. She told me thank you and went back to sleep.

I walked up a couple of staircases until I was on the same floor as my bedroom. I magically turned the lights on when I opened the door. I made a B-line for my closet and tossed my clothing into my hamper. I slid into a pair of yellow boy shorts and its matching, surprisingly comfortable tube bra. I redid my hair by lazily putting it up in a semi-messy bun and washed my face. I brushed my teeth, too, and then left a pee. For no reason at all, the song that Gina and Katrina sang earlier started to choppily play in my head. I did my best to stop thinking about it, but I ended up singing the parts I remembered. I couldn't help but to start dancing around to the song as it played in my head. I don't know how long it took me to get hot since I didn't look at the clock when I walked in, but I knew that I'd need satisfaction soon. I haven't had sex in months, and, quite honestly, I'd like an orgasm. Especially after all I've been through and all the stresses in my life, an orgasm is the least of the things I deserve to be able to enjoy.

I grabbed a black, silk robe out of my closet and stepped into a pair of four inch, black stilettos. I didn't bother getting my wand since I'm not going to bother with any contraceptive spell. I'm already pregnant; I can't get pregnant from this. Besides, a force much bigger and better than Voldemort protects this child. Draco would have told me if I couldn't have sex with Voldemort while pregnant. And he knows that the sex Voldemort and I have is rough to say the least; if there was a problem with that I would have been informed. And I didn't get any odd feeling to _not_ do anything with Voldemort. If anything, everything in my body told me to go back down to his study.

I ignored the patrolling Death Eaters, but I did tighten my robe against my body while walking past them. They wouldn't dare do a thing to me, but I still don't feel comfortable with them. I opened the door to his study only as much as I needed to get inside, and I quietly walked to him. His body tensed when I touched him, but he immediately calmed down when he saw that it was my hands running down his arms. He sighed as I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck and ran my hands down his torso and to his legs. He sucked in a fast, deep breath when I nibbled on his earlobe and whispered, "I'm _so_ wet."

Voldemort started to get up, but I shoved him back down by pressing down on his thighs. I growled in his ear, "_You _are _my_ plaything tonight."

He groaned when he heard me say that.

I smirked, kissed his neck, and loosened his tie. I slid it off of him, took a step back, shimmied out of my robe, and then slid the tie over my head and onto my neck. I tossed my robe onto him as he swiveled the chair one hundred and eighty degrees to see me. Voldemort laughed and tossed the robe aside. He firmly planted his feet in front of him with his legs wide apart and rested his hands on the back of his head. A huge smirk was glued to his face as I started to seductively sway my hips. I raised my right hand and watched as his wand flew into my hand. I pointed it at a similar magical stereo system that my father has and made Bad Girl play. Voldemort laughed at the song, but immediately stopped when I tossed his wand aside and started to slowly dance in a mixture of belly dancing and booty dancing.

"Oh my _God_, Neema."

I smirked and looked at him over my shoulder while I dipped for him.

He smirked, "If I'm your plaything, why are you dancing for me?"

I didn't miss a beat, "You're worthless to me soft."

Voldemort laughed and then drew in a deep breath, "I'm going to jump you."

I stood up straight, "I swear to God, Marv, if you don't let me have my fun I will leave now."

Voldemort groaned, "_Fiiiiine._"

I smirked and walked over to him. I put my hands on the armrests of his chair and leaned almost into him. He licked his lips while looking my body over. I looked down and saw that his pants were about to rip open; I licked my lips and then looked into his eyes. The midnight sky they usually portrayed twinkled with lust filled stars. I growled, "Relax your arms."

He smirked and did so.

I unbuttoned his shirt and tugged him forward. He chuckled when I did that, but he groaned when I tugged his shirt off and tossed it to the side. I roughly unbuckled his belt, and unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. I jerked them down to his knees; I smirked to myself and did a sumo squat when I pulled his pants down to his ankles. Voldemort sucked in a deep breath and ruffled his hair at the sight of my almost totally nude body in a sumo squat at his feet. I smirked, licked my lips, and tugged his pants completely off. I tossed it over with his wand, shirt, and belt. I stood back up, leaned over, and kissed all over his neck. He groaned, especially when I occasionally bit him. I kissed my way down his chest, purposely avoided his groin area, and kissed the inside of his thighs. I slid my fingers under the waistband of his boxer briefs and carefully slid them off. He lifted his hips off of his seat so I could tug his boxers off. I smirked, licked my lips, and kissed the newly acquired "V" muscle. Voldemort whimpered, so I asked in a sarcastically caring voice,

"_Aww_, is Marvy in need?"

Voldemort pouted to keep from laughing, "Yes."

I roughly tugged his boxer briefs to his feet and then off of his body. I tossed them to the side and then stood back up. I sat on his lap mere inches away from his throbbing erection and put my hands against his shoulders, "Tell me how much you want me."

Voldemort smirked, "If I didn't want you to have your fun I'd have jumped you long ago."

I smirked and then purred, "I'm going to use you tonight, are you excited?"

He softly groaned, "Of course. I've never seen this side of you, Neemie."

I smirked even wider and licked my right hand. I gently squeezed my hand around the base of his thick dick and slowly started to give him a hand job. He groaned at the feeling; I licked my left hand and did the same motion as the right when the right neared the tip of his dick. I did this continuous hand job until he started to buck his hips. I stopped and then took my tube bra off. I tossed it away from me and then grabbed his hands. I put his hands on my breasts, looked into his eyes, and purred out, "Pleasure me." He grinned and gently squeezed my breasts. He played with them for a minute, smirked, and then motor boated me. I giggled at the feeling and sound, but softly moaned when he licked my left and then right nipple. He smirked, winked at me, and slowly traced circles around them with his tongue, ever so gradually making the circles smaller. I moaned when he tenderly sucked on my left nipple, made me gasp when he nibbled, and then kissed his way to my right nipple and did the same thing. I entangled my right hand in his hair and yanked his head back. He softly gasped from the movement and the force I put into the tug. I smirked and said, "Clear off your desk."

I slid of his lap and stood a foot away from him. He eyed me while getting up, "_You_ are telling _me_ to clear off _my_ desk?"

"Yes, now use your hands and not your listening skills."

Voldemort laughed, stood up, and waved his left hand at his desk. His papers, quills, and inks flew off of the desk and onto a small, near by table. He sat on the closest edge of his desk and licked his lips, "What now, Neemie?"

I smirked, walked up to him, and then put my right hand on his chest. He stared at my breasts, but sucked in a breath when I shoved him fully onto the desk. He quickly situated himself on the desk and excitedly smirked at me. I slid my boy shorts off, tossed them with everything else, and then got on top of him. I winked at him and then repositioned myself to be looking at his dick. Voldemort ran his hands from an inch above my knees, up my legs, and then to my hips. I put my left hand down on the table for support and gently squeezed the base of his hard dick with my right. He groaned as I flicked my tongue across the tip of his dick and said, "_Oh shit._" When I wrapped my lips around the head and softly sucked, gradually making my sucking motions tighter. He used his grip on my hips to lower me down to where was comfortable for him, and then gave me a few St. Bernard licks. I moaned and wiggled my hips; he smirked and teased my clit with his tongue, as if to convince it to come out from hiding. It didn't need a lot of convincing. He licked and sucked on my clit, probed at my entrance a few times, and then slid his right index and middle fingers into me. I shivered and moaned as I licked my lips, sucked them into my mouth so that they'd cover my teeth, and slid up and down the length of his dick. He groaned, making me shiver; I stopped when he was getting close. He whimpered, so I said,

"_You_ are _my _plaything, remember?"

Voldemort laughed, but quickly went back to my oral pleasure. I moaned and arched my back as he quickened his pace, bringing me to orgasm. I moaned loudly as my orgasm sent tingles up my spine and shot pure pleasure from my center to my chest. He grinned and gave me a few more St. Bernard licks. I took my time getting off of the desk, but I told him to stay on it.

Voldemort put his hands behind his head, smirked, looked me over, and then asked, "When do I get to orgasm?"

I smirked and straddled him. I pressed my chest against his and purred into his left ear, "When I tell you to."

Voldemort sighed and smiled, "I like this side of you, Neem."

I smirked wider, "Good." I positioned myself over his dick and then said, "I applaud you for control."

Voldemort laughed.

"But if you come before me, I'll slap you."

"I'll like it."

I laughed and then slapped him. Hard.

He sucked in a breath and then turned his head back to look up at me, "I liked it."

I shivered, "Good."

Voldemort smirked and watched as I repositioned myself. I squeezed my PC muscles when his head was in me; he groaned and fluttered his eyes. I smirked and slowly slid down the length of his dick, occasionally squeezing my PC muscles to torture him. I leaned forward once he was fully inside me and put my hands down on his desk for support. I rocked back and forth to stimulate my clit and moved my hips similar to the shape of a figure eight. I groaned in his left ear; his breath quickly changed from being excited to being labored. I nibbled on his earlobe and moaned, "_Oh Marv…_"

His eyes fluttered open and closed, "Auuh."

I smirked and bit down on his earlobe.

He sucked in a deep breath.

"You feel _so_ big like this."

"I _am_ big."

I laughed and then kissed him, "I know."

He smirked and roughly kissed me back. He panted out in between kisses, "You feel _sooo_ tight."

I smirked, "I _am_ tight."

He laughed, "I know."

"We're a good combination."

Voldemort laughed, but stopped when I leaned back and started to ride him. He groaned and whimpered as I pressed my hands down on his chest, rolled my head back, and moaned. I told him to grab my hips; he did so without any hesitance. He squeezed my ass and helped me ride him even faster than I already was. I came pretty quickly; he whimpered and I laughed, "I suppose you can have your fun." And then I got off of him.

He sprung up and growled, "Get on your knees."

I dropped to my knees and twisted my hair back and off of my shoulders, onto my back. He gripped his desk with his left hand and entangled his right hand in my hair. He tugged me to his dick and said, "Suck and swallow."

I purred, "Yes, sir." against the tip of his dick before licking it a few times; he groaned and watched with delight as I sucked him off. He bucked his hips a few time for my warning of his oncoming load. I drew in a deep breath and then wrapped my lips around his head. I sucked as tightly as I could while flicking my tongue all over it. He groaned loudly and pulled my hair while emptying his seed in my mouth. It took me two gulps before he was finished, but he was finished quickly. He pulled me up by my hair and growled, "_You_ are _my_ plaything now."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and dug my nails into his shoulders. I raised and lowered my brows, "I usually am."

He smirked and roughly kissed me. I groaned against his lips and ran my nails up and down his neck. I scratched his neck and then tugged at his hair. He pulled away from my lips and said, "Use my desk for support."

I took a step back and then walked around him. I held onto his desk, stuck my ass out, and then wiggled it. He licked his lips and half chuckled, half growled. He squeezed my ass and said, "Je-_sus_ Christ, your ass is big."

"Psh. Don't act like you don't like it."

His smirk widened, "Who said I didn't like it?"

I looked at him over my right shoulder, "Then _prove_ _it_, Marv."

He smirked, spanked me, and then groaned. "It's big and it's firm. I, I, I," he drew in a deep breath, "I am so glad I froze you when I did. This thing is beautiful."

I laughed and then asked, "On a serious note, if I exercise, will nothing happen?"

He thought it over for a few seconds, "We can get toner. Your muscles would get tighter and smaller and all that jazz."

I stood up and pressed my back into his chest. I ran my hand from near his penis up to his developing lower abs, "And you would become more defined?"

He smirked and rubbed his nose against my neck. He growled into my right ear, "Yes."

I turned my head to look up at him. I looked at him with lazy eyes and said in a tone that was a borderline moan, "I like the way that sounds."

Voldemort sighed and quickly licked his lips. "Bend back over, Neema, I can't wait anymore."

I smirked and bent over. I held onto his desk and brushed my ass against his groin. He firmly grabbed my hips and dug his fingertips into my flesh. He rubbed the tip of his still hard dick up and down my slit. I moaned and then looked at him over my shoulder, "Marv, if I may?"

"First thing," he half groaned, half growled, "for this you will call me master."

I smirked, "_Master,_ if I may?"

He smirked, "You may."

He watched me with horny curiosity while I put my right leg on the right edge of the table. I inched my hands forward and grabbed onto the other side of the desk and leaned forward. I looked at him again and said, "You'll be able to go deeper, _Master_."

Voldemort smirked and slid the head of his dick into me. I moaned out 'master' and sighed. He bit down on his bottom lip and stared at his dick sliding in and out of me. He left his right hand on my hip, but just about exploded when I purred, "_Please_ pull my hair, Master."

Voldemort shook his head from surprise and shouted, "GAH!" He shot his left hand up the curve of my body and entangled his hand in my hair. He tugged and pulled my hair as he humped me, every other thrust becoming faster. He panted while I moaned and thrusted my hips back to meet him. He smirked and tugged on my hair while I practically slammed my hips back.

I thought I'd rack up some more points by saying, "_Oh, master, harder… please._"

In one, rushed out growl, he said, "Beg for it."

I groaned.

"Beg!"

I gulped and then said, "Please fuck me, master, please _let_ me come."

Voldemort screamed with twisted delight and wrapped his right arm under my right leg and just above my hips. He leaned his body against me and thrusted in me faster and harder than before. I gasped and moaned while he bit down on my right shoulder. I shot my right arm up and bent it behind me. I dug my nails into the base of his neck and just about screamed for him.

"Nyaah!"

I would at laughed at his sound if I wasn't so close to orgasming. I slammed my hips back to meet him as best as I could and moaned, "_Please master! Please! I'm so close!_"

He bit down on my shoulder and thrusted into me two more times before I practically collapsed from the strength of my orgasm. He dug the fingertips on his right hand into me and groaned as he came, too. We stood there panting, enjoying the aftershocks of our orgasms for a few minutes. Voldemort slowly slid out of me when he regained his breath. He kissed the base of my neck and all the way down my back before saying, "I have work to finish."

I smirked and slowly turned around. I rested against his chest and lazily held onto his arms, "I think you needed the break."

He smirked and kissed my forehead, "You have impeccable timing. I was ready to set my desk and all the papers on fire."

I laughed and then walked over to our pile of clothes. I slipped back into my boy shorts and tube bra after I picked up his wand and preformed a cleaning spell on myself. I tossed him his wand and then picked up my silk robe. He preformed the same cleansing spell on himself before quickly getting dressed again. I started to walk out when he said, "Close your robe. We aren't the only people in this place."

I sighed, "Why do Death Eaters live here?"

"They don't." He sat back down. I turned around to see him as he said, "They patrol the halls. It's too big of a place for me to have to worry about."

I leaned against the door, "What's there to worry about?"

Voldemort put his hands behind his head and said, "You."

I laughed, "Me? I have no where to go or any way to leave, even if I wanted to go."

Voldemort smirked, "You don't want to go?"

I sighed, "Where could I go at this point? Honestly? I will never be treated the same. My best option is just to stay with you."

Voldemort sighed, "I'm glad you're finally coming around, Neema."

I put my left hand on the doorknob, "Good."

Just as I was about to walk out, he said, "Oh, Neemie?"

I turned back around, "Yes?"

"You have my tie."

"I'm keeping it."

He smirked, "Then give me something of yours. It's only fair."

I rolled my eyes and then I smirked. I untied my robe, slowly took my boy shorts off, – I was extra careful around my heels – and then tossed them to him. I quickly closed and securely tied my robe while he caught my panties.

His smirk widened, "They're still wet."

I opened the door, "Be flattered."

Voldemort laughed and magically put all his papers, quills, and inks back on his desk. He turned around the same time I left his study and walked out of the room.

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**A/N: Please review!

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**A/N: I'm sorry if the length of this chapter was a bit intimidating. My life is getting busier, so I wanted to leave you wonderful fans a good sized chapter in case I don't get to update as soon as I'd like to.

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**A/N:Twin of Alice: Vacations = the best. Staycations = even better since I'm a hermit at heart. hahaha. I'm a little confused on the hate/love thing, but I'll take it as a compliment. C:

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**A/N: Scara1: :U**

**hah hah.**


	5. Every Thing's Gonna be Alright

**Chapter Five: Every Thing's Gonna be Alright**

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I can't say what woke me, maybe a cold breeze or something like that, but I can't say for sure. What I do know for sure is what I saw when I lazily opened my eyes. I yawned and shivered. Voldemort came in an hour or so after me, but he didn't come to bed for a while. He relaxed in a chair on the balcony for a long time; he didn't close the doors when he came to bed. I rolled my head to the right and saw him sleeping. His face was empty of all emotion and his breath was slow and steady; it was ridiculous, shouldn't he breath fire or something with all the hate built up inside him?

A tickle on my stomach made me roll my head back to center and look down. I blinked once to get used to the moon softly lighting the room, then I blinked twice to what I saw. Draco was laying down on me, using my stomach as his pillow. He whispered so softly that I almost didn't hear him, "I can't really touch you…"

I smiled weakly and whispered, "I'll go back to sleep, you can touch me then."

He smiled and replied, "Thank you."

I smiled and emptied my mind, but my excitement made it almost impossible to fall asleep. I huffed and opened my eyes. Draco was smirking with humored eyes. I playfully glared at him and cautiously raised my right hand. My wand flew into it; I mumbled a sleeping spell on me and tossed my wand somewhere to the left of the room right before I fell asleep….

I opened my eyes to see the same beach I was on before. Draco plopped down on the white sand to my left. He smiled at me while placing his hands six or seven inches behind him and stretched his legs out to dip his feet into the gently rolling tide. "I know the sex of our child."

I smiled goofily. You know how those super 'nerdy' kids smile in movies, when they sink their heads into their chests and sort of hunch? Yeah, like that. "What's the sex?"

Draco laughed at me before saying, "A boy."

I smiled down at my stomach. I could barely get into my jeans now, but I wasn't really showing. "What do you want to name him?"

"I don't know," Draco shrugged, "How about Scorpius?"

I immediately shouted, "No!"

Draco looked amused, "Why not? My name's a constellation, too. It could be a father-son tradition."

I sighed, "No, no, no. You mean dragon and that means scorpion. No. I don't want any fierce or warrior names."

Draco laughed and wrapped his right arm around my waist. He kissed my forehead, his smiling lips tingling my happy skin. "Then what do you want to name him?"

I leaned into Draco and stretched my legs forward so my feet could be in the water, too. Draco rested his head on mine while I said, "Maybe Theo or Theodore."

"Why?"

"It means 'divine gift', and that's what he is."

Draco smiled and kissed the top of my head, "I like it, but I doubt Asshat will let you name him that. Theodore is too common of a name."

I sighed, "Very true."

"Any other ideas? I know you like the name Giorgios."

"I doubt he'll go for that. He'll call him George and he'll say that's too common, too."

"Yeah," Draco sighed and gave me a loving, soft squeeze, "How about Rastus?"

"Why Rastus?"

Draco smiled again and cupped my chin in his left hand after wiping the sand off it and onto his thigh. He turned my head to the left and up, "Because it means 'beloved', and this child is loved."

I smiled and kissed him on his lips. When I pulled away I rested my head on his left shoulder, "I like that name."

"Do you want to discuss back up names?"

I shrugged, "How about Helios? The sun; he'd be the light in my life."

Draco squeezed me closer to him, "I like it."

I giggled and kissed his cheek, "I like you."

Draco chuckled and kissed my forehead, "I like you, too."

I nuzzled my face into his neck and sighed, "I hate having to act the part of his wife."

Draco turned his head to the right and rubbed his nose softly against the top of my head, breathing in the scent of my hair, "I know you do. I don't like it either, but things will be better for you if you do."

I sighed and kissed his neck.

"I'm not bothered by you being his wife. I mean," Draco took a moment to think, "I'm not bothered by you adjusting to everything. _He _bothers me, of course, and I wish I could physically be with you instead of just lurking around you."

I laughed.

Draco laughed and then continued, "But I honestly do know that you'll be with me again. And it'll feel like forever, and it really will be quite a long time and you'll have to continue to adjust and all of that, but in the end, you'll be with me again."

I looked up at him and asked him, "Will you walk around with me?"

Draco smiled, "Yes."

We slowly got up and stretched. Draco slipped his fingers in between mine and held my hand towards his hip, absent-mindedly showing me that he doesn't feel dominate, he feels equal. Mere inches separated our walking bodies while we half walked, half buried our toes in the wet sand. I turned my head to the right and looked up at him. The bright sun made his platinum blonde hair shine, and the gentle breeze from the sea filled the air with a sweet smell of salt while lightly rustling his hair. I sighed with bliss and started to swing our hands back and forth. "I love you."

Draco smiled, "I love you, too, Neema." Then he looked down at me and stopped walking. He stepped in front of me and slid his remaining fingers in between my remaining fingers. Draco squatted down a bit while I stood up on my tiptoes; we helped balance each other by holding hands. He pressed his forehead against mine and said, "I didn't watch you two have sex, but it's good that you went in there when you did."

I blushed with embarrassment, "Why?"

"I troll around him, too, and he was getting extremely angry. He'd have no problem slapping you around to get his anger out."

I lazily frowned, "He used to slap me around quite a lot."

"I know," Draco kissed my forehead, "I'm glad he's stopped, but he won't hesitate to start up again if you seriously piss him off, or if you're just around when he gets overwhelmed with frustration. He's going to tell you to do all sorts of things you don't want to do, but it'll be best for you to just go along with everything." Draco let go of my hands and wrapped his arms around my waist, "Don't think about how other people will perceive you or judge you, just operate by what your heart tells you is right, but what your brain tells you is safe."

I nuzzled my face into his neck, "I'm so glad I still get to see you. This is the only reason why I go to sleep at all."

Draco nuzzled his face into my soft hair and said, "I wish I could take you pass the beach."

I mumbled into his neck, "What?"

Draco squeezed me a bit tighter to him, "You're not dead so you shouldn't even be up here, but you've suffered so much and you're going to have to deal with so much, and we were separated in such a horrible way that you're allowed here, but only at the beach."

I removed my face from his neck and looked up at him with curious eyes.

Draco kissed my forehead, the tip of my nose, and then my lips before telling me in a very sweet, very soft, very loving voice, "You're happiest at the beach. It's where we officially fell in love, right afterwards we had our first time, and we ended up living near one."

I started to cry. I couldn't stop; I didn't make the usual sniffling or crying sounds or anything like that, I just cried. Draco used his right thumb to wipe them off my face, "Don't be sad—"

"I'm not sad," I mumbled and wrapped my arms around his neck, "I just hurt."

Draco laughed at my statement, "I hurt, too, but we'll be together again."

I hugged him tighter, "This is going to be hard."

"Yes," Draco hugged me back, "but I'll always be around. Remember that."

I smiled and suddenly yawned, "I will."

Draco kissed both of my eyes the second that I blinked. I smiled, mumbled my love for him, and then cuddled into him.

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"Neema."

I groaned and drew in my deep morning breath.

"Neema," the voice wasn't any louder than last time, but it was much more serious and demanding, "Neema, get up."

I yawned while my eyes fluttered open.

Voldemort was almost fully dressed and sitting down on the left side of the bed, my side, looking at me. He was halfway done with buttoning his deep blue shirt, "It's ten o'clock. We overslept."

I yawned and slowly sat up. I crossed my legs by placing my ankles under the opposite knees and leaned against the large, elaborate, wooden headboard. The cool temperature of the wood against my bare back made me shiver. My eyes shot open when I realized that I was still naked and grabbed the sheets. I pulled the sheets up under my pits and then looked at him. He was smirking with amusement and said, "Oh no, my wife is naked in my bed. How terrible."

I glared at him, "Oh shut up."

Voldemort laughed and then scooted four inches up the side to be closer to me. "Luckily I don't have any meetings until four in the afternoon, but we have an appointment at one."

I arched my right brow, "_We?_"

He started to button the rest of his shirt, "Yes, we."

"For what?"

"For you."

"Why?"

Voldemort smirked again, "Aren't we curious?"

I cocked my head to the left and gave him a serious, not amused look.

Voldemort rolled his eyes at me, "I'm curious as to why you haven't had your period for so long. I seriously doubt it is stress, especially since you have to wiggle into your jeans quite a bit more than you used to."

I sighed and just looked at him, "Fine, whatever. Why are you getting all dressed up now if we don't have to apparate until twelve fifty at the earliest?"

"We'll have to be there a bit earlier than that."

"Why?" I laughed, "Who's going to make the Dark Lord and his wife wait?"

Voldemort laughed, "For paperwork. Such rubbish should be finished and processed quickly, especially since we'll be going to a private practice."

I sighed.

"Besides," his face slowly went back to the usual way it is, expressionless, but still cold, "We're going to brunch in half an hour."

"Where are we going?"

"Don't worry about it."

"I need to know how to dress—"

"Rather casually."

I sighed and brought my knees into my chest. I tossed the covers off of my and extended my legs to the left, making the rest of my body turn and end up sitting down next to Voldemort. I leaned against his left side and said, "Why are you always dressed so formally?"

"Politics."

I grinned with sarcastic thankfulness, "Thank you for the clarification."

Voldemort laughed for a moment and then stood up, "You're welcome. Now go get ready. I won't tell you again."

I got up and took my time walking to the bathroom. I walked out without a towel when I was done with all things bathroom related, and found Voldemort sitting up on the middle of the bed. He had his arms comfortably folded behind his head while he smirked at me. I ignored him and made a B-line for my closet, but eventually acknowledged him so I could ask, "Define casual."

Voldemort chuckled, "Wear a sweater dress."

I quietly sighed and sardonically asked, "Color?"

"Green," I shivered from the sudden bitterness in his voice, "A dark green."

I gulped, "Okay."

He silently watched while I slipped into a pair of boy shorts, a random bra, and hunted down a dark green sweater dress. The type of fabric it was made from is a mystery to me, but it was very comfortable, and more than likely going to keep me warm. It's a turtleneck and loose on my body, but it still fits me well. I grabbed a pair of black, suede ankle boots and walked over to my side of the bed. Voldemort's eyes scanned my body as I walked over. He leaned over and wrapped his left index finger around one of my larger curls. I leaned my head back and looked up at him. He smirked and whispered, "Put your hair up. The way you do when you're organizing your shit. With your hair clip pinning your hair to the back, but still keeping it up and puffed out."

I drew in a deep breath before whispering back, "Yes, sir."

He winked and then kissed my forehead. He let go of my hair and sighed while I quickly, but carefully, put on my boots. I turned my upper body and head enough to look at him and said, "Marv?"

Voldemort's smirk widened, "Yes, Neema?"

I bit my bottom lip and shyly looked up at him, "Will you please magically make these boots weather proof?"

Voldemort repositioned himself to be seated next to me and drew his wand from a pocket I didn't see before. He pointed it at my boots but looked into my eyes, "What's the magic word, dear?"

I laughed.

He raised his right brow.

"The _magic_ word…." I laughed again, but nervously. I gulped and dropped the joke, "_Please_, my Lord?"

Voldemort smirked; a quick flash of light came out of the tip of his wand. Voldemort sat his wand down behind us and then wrapped his right arm around my waist. He roughly pulled me towards him, making me squeal from shock and discomfort. He chuckled and then carelessly cupped my face with his left hand. While forcing me to look into his eyes, he said, "I spoke with your mother recently. She told me that neither her nor her sisters showed much when they were pregnant until the last few months, and even then, they weren't all that round. I see that you're starting to struggle with your trousers, and I can't help but to think that you're pregnant."

I gulped out of fear, but I didn't blink. "My mother performed a contraceptive spell on me—"

"I know," Voldemort tugged my face barely an inch away from his, "but I doubt her full concentration was in the spell."

I breathed in deeply from my nose and brought my warm, medium sized, maybe even small hand up to his cold, large hand. I slowly slid my fingers underneath his and took his hand off of my face. I drew in another deep breath and slowly brought his hand to my lower abdomen. I flattened his hand against my stomach and whispered while still looking into his eyes, "You seem to be worrying, my Lord, but I don't understand why. Would you not want a child?"

Voldemort's facial expression became curious, "What good would a child be to me?"

"Politics."

Voldemort grinned, but then he repeated himself.

I gulped, "What is a more powerful thing than the creation of another human being?"

"Continue."

I rubbed his hand back and forth against the fabric covering my lower stomach, "To create another human being is a powerful thing, especially that of such pure blood. If I am pregnant, it will be a pure child. It will be a smart child. It will be the best child. And you created that child."

Voldemort raised his right brow again, "Are you sure that it is _my_ child?"

I didn't miss a beat, "Only a wizard like you could defy and destroy strong magic."

Voldemort smirked. I doubt he thinks that I'm being sincere, but he likes me stroking his ego. I stopped moving his hand, so he moved it on his own. Voldemort cocked his head to the side and nipped at my lips. He placed a soft kiss on my lips before growling, "If it is not my child, you will pay dearly."

I drew in a deep breath and placed a soft kiss on his lips, "If the rare chance occurred that this is not your child, than it is surely only because you are too busy to bother with it."

He stayed silent.

"You own England, you will soon own the world. Both wizard and filth will bow to you. A powerful man such as you is already preoccupied with the governing of many subjects. What better way to show his subjects that everything works out in his favor, even if he can't be bothered to set the occurrence off?"

Voldemort smirked again. I'm sure he just wanted to humor himself, "To have a child is to show kindness. Why would I want to show my _subjects_ such a kindness?"

I gulped again and whispered, "Kindness is earned. That would be the lesson, my Lord."

Voldemort smirked against my lips and slowly laid me down against our bed. We slowly kissed for several minutes before he pulled away and nipped on my right earlobe, "Remind me to make you a public speaker. You could easily convince a crowd to be a part of the Greater Good."

I smiled and breathed out through my nose, "The Necessary Evil."

Voldemort laughed but chomped down on my earlobe, smirking at my squeal, "You'll be speaking _for_ me, promoting me, persuading to the cause, not being a satirist."

I drew in a deep breath, "Yes, sir."

He kissed me one more time, "That's more like it. Now lets go eat."

"Yes, sir."

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**A/N: Please review! I made this chapter much shorter than the previous one so it wouldn't look so intimidating or become tedious. If you like longer chapters, just say so in a review.**

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**A/N: alicam: Hopefully this chapter answered your question. :]**

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**A/N: Cass: I was proud of myself for it. Hahaha**

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**A/N: scara1: Only kind of sort of. Relish in the fact that his father walked in on us. It'll make you laugh instead of being disgusted.**


	6. Symmetry

**Chapter Six: Symmetry**

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**A/N: The weekend that I have very little homework is the same weekend that I have no internet access. So I went ahead and made this a very long chapter. Hopefully that's what you guys wanted! I only received one review about the length, and long was the way to go. (That's what she said.) (hahahahaha) Please review!**

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"Good afternoon, my Lord and my Lady."

I smiled weakly while Voldemort gently tugged me into the examination room. He sat down on a grey, metal chair next to the bed thingy I was supposed to get situated on. The mediwitch smiled warmly at me and said, "Please relax, my Lady."

I laughed nervously and then asked, "Should I lift my dress up or something?"

Voldemort smirked and folded his hands together.

The mediwitch said, "Please remove your panties as well. Then make yourself comfortable here." She patted the grey bed like thing before grabbing the several pieces of paper Voldemort filled out for me. I quickly slipped out of my panties and tossed them over to Voldemort. He caught them with a smirk and occupied himself with playing with it. The mediwitch politely instructed me how to properly situate myself on the thing that I'm laying down on; I blushed and spread my legs for her while laying back. I stared at the light green wall to my left and nervously twiddled my thumbs. She looked at my paper work and said, "It says that you're under a contraception charm."

I gulped and hoarsely replied, "Yes, but—"

Voldemort interrupted me, "I believe that her mother did not put her full concentration into the spell. Neema has not had her period for several months now, and I don't bother with condoms."

I laughed.

The mediwitch tensed, but smiled politely.

Voldemort looked over at me with sharp, serious eyes, "What?"

I mimicked his voice, "_I don't bother with condoms._"

Voldemort rolled his eyes and told the mediwitch to get this over with. She gently inspected my business for several minutes before performing some medical charm on me. The charm sent shivers up my spine and tingled in my lower stomach. It was shockingly cold, which is why goose bumps appeared on my soft skin. The mediwitch quietly gulped before looking over at Voldemort, "My Lord, your wife is about half way done with her third month."

I groaned. I know I'm pregnant, and really, Voldemort knew before this, but I wish she could have been wrong with her diagnosis. I mean, I wish she wouldn't have figured it out. Anyway, Voldemort walked over to me and smirked. He stared down at me while asking, "What other pregnancy tests can be done?"

The mediwitch was clearly nervous, "Is there a specific piece of information you are curious for, my Lord?"

"Tell me all you can about this child."

"Yes, sir." She nodded and left the room for a moment. She came back with a small bowl filled with a pale blue liquid. She dipped her hands in it while asking me to lift my dress up more. Voldemort handed me my panties, so I slipped those back on, and then I pulled my dress up to just under my breasts. I laid back down while she walked over to me. She slowly rubbed her hands across and against my stomach. My body tingled while she was in almost a trance like state. Several minutes passed before she stopped and said, "My Lord,"

Voldemort looked at her. "Yes?"

"The child is a boy."

He half smiled, half smirked.

She gulped, "The child is due on May fifth,"

I smiled, May is my birthday month, too; this child is a gift both literally and figuratively.

The mediwitch gulped, "It is an extremely healthy baby, but it was fathered in September, sir."

Voldemort pursed his lips and raised his right brow at the mediwitch. She stayed silent as he looked down at me, "We did not have sex in September."

I gulped, "I was married—"

He slapped me across the face. The mediwitch stared at us with wide eyes while Voldemort turned his head to the right and glared at her, "Kill it—"

"No!" I screamed. I yanked my dress back down and sat up, "This is my baby!" I screamed at him, "You have no right—!"

"I am your husband! I am your Lord!"

I slapped him across the face.

The mediwitch took a big step back while Voldemort bit down on his bottom lip. His eyes were wide with rage and hate, "You dare—?"

"This is my child," I growled, "and I will keep him. I will give birth to him, and I will raise him because he is _**my**_ child, and I love him."

Voldemort scoffed, "You love him? He's not even born ye—"

"I don't care!" I screamed, "You've taken everything I loved away from me! I'll be damned if you take away this child! We'll tell the world he's yours, and if anyone doesn't believe it or says something to the contrary, you can just have _**them **_killed."

He glared at me, "Don't tell me what to do."

"It's a suggestion. A very strong suggestion."

"And what if I chose to kill it anyway?"

"Then I will rip out my ovaries and never bare another child again. Yours or anyone else's."

Voldemort laughed while I slid off of the bed/table thing. I grabbed his wand from out of his left, front pocket and pointed it at her. She drew in a deep breath, but then I said, "I'm just going to wipe your memory."

She let out a breath of relief as I magically erased this examination from her memory. There was no need to kill the woman to keep a part of her job a secret. Voldemort rolled his eyes and squeezed me into his chest. He apparated us to a long street with cafés, restaurants, and small business littering the street; he speedily walked us into a French like café and was immediately given a private table for two. He practically tossed me into my seat and sat down across from me, "Why should I let you keep it?"

I glared at him, "I'd be happier that way, and my depression got old fast."

Voldemort laughed at me and then picked up the menu that was placed in front of him. I stared at Voldemort while he scanned the options on the menu. He took his time deciding on what he wanted before he looked back at me. He smirked, "You can keep it, but it is mine now. Not that stupid boy-toy you had before me."

My jaw immediately tensed, but I managed to say, "Yes, sir."

He smirked and then snapped his fingers to get the attention of a waiter. Voldemort ordered blackberry filled crepes and a cold glass of orange juice. The café usually doesn't serve breakfast this late, but hey, if the Dark Lord wants breakfast, he's going to get breakfast. So I ordered eggs benedict; the waiter sighed, "We don't have that—"

Voldemort said in a quiet, but surprisingly cold voice, "Now you do."

The waiter gulped and said, "Yes, sir."

Voldemort stared at me while I watched the waiter collect our menus and walk away. I remained silent, but I looked back at Voldemort. We stared at each other until the waiter came back with our drinks. Twenty minutes passed before our food was ready. Voldemort remained silent as the waiter put his meal in front of him; I looked up at the tall, pale waiter as he placed my food in front of me, and I said, "Thank you."

He nodded and whispered, "Thank you, My Lady."

I didn't realize how very fast he became the, the uhh… the dictator, the monarch? He's extremely feared, but everyone treats him with the utmost respect. He said that he had all the known rebels, their families, and their acquaintances killed. So that very well could be with the magical world seems to be running smoothly. It's still ridiculously cold, though, so he had us eat inside of the fancy café. I didn't really talk to him while we ate, he just rambled on and on and on to me about how Poland, Russia, Germany, and several counties near them, have aligned themselves with him. Pretty much every country – besides France and Italy – that Hitler had. I wanted to ask him _how_, but he saw the confusion on my face and said, "They won't betray me, they can't."

I looked into his dark eyes with a mixture of fear and wonder.

He smirked and leaned closer to me. He held my hands in his and whispered, "Dark Magic is a truly wonderful thing, Neema."

He didn't say anything more, and I didn't ask. We ate the rest of our breakfasts in almost complete silence, but he rarely took his eyes away from me. He laughed when I shivered when he smiled at me. Apparating didn't do anything to my hair, but the one block walk to the café did. It was windy while we walked, causing several loose curls from my bun to escape and frame my face. Voldemort drew in a deep breath before leaning closer to me again, "I have to go to China next week, and I think you'd look just lovely in those silk dresses."

I gulped. He squeezed my hands in his as I replied, "I'm starting to show, and silk is very unforgiving."

Voldemort laughed and rolled his eyes, "If _I _can barely notice, I doubt anyone will. Besides," he smirked, "Simple charms can hide your baby bulge."

I gulped and then I sighed, "I know that I don't have a choice in the matter, so I suppose I won't even bother arguing about it."

Voldemort smirked, "Good girl."

I was silent for a moment, "Will the children I bare grow physically older than us?"

Voldemort took a sip of his orange juice, "I plan to have us age as they grow older. I will have us aged to thirty years old, but that is it."

"And what will happen to them?"

He looked at me as if I'm retarded, "They will have a choice. They can be frozen and immortal, or they can be frozen and mortal, or they can just live naturally. I will give them the choice when they are of age."

I absent–mindedly put my left hand on my stomach while I used the edge of my fork to cut an egg into fourths. I ate some more of my breakfast before asking, "Do you want children?"

Voldemort quickly answered, "Yes."

I stared at him while he ate, "Why?"

Voldemort rolled his eyes, "What sort of king doesn't have heirs?"

I choked on the ham and egg and stared at him with wide eyes. "You're a king now?"

He chuckled, "Yes, Neemie. I'll be crowned in China. The rebels have been taken down, and the Ministry of Magic is now reorganizing itself."

"You want heirs? No! No, you don't. You want to rule for all eternity—"

"I want heirs, not replacements."

"Same difference."

Voldemort laughed, "Listen, Neemers,"

I leaned forward an inch or so.

He smirked with amusement and continued, "After this child," he waved his fork at me, "you will have my children."

I shrugged; I'm not surprised, and I can raise them to be much different than him. Besides, if I refuse to have his children he'll probably give my unborn son up for adoption. He'll pretend I never had a child and that will be that.

Voldemort eyed me, "What other children do you want?"

I smiled goofily, "Before we get into that, if I serve you as a baby factory—"

Voldemort laughed, and he laughed hard, "You're not gong to be a baby factory, Neema, you're going to be the mother of my children."

I smiled, "You really are quite charming when you want to be."

Voldemort shrugged with cockiness, "Anyway, Neema?"

I sighed, "How man children do you want?"

"Many."

I rolled my eyes, "Thank you for the clarification."

He took another bite of crepe before replying, "You're welcome."

I drew in a deep breath and finished my breakfast before talking to him again. We finished our meals at about the same time, so I drank some water and looked at him before asking, "May I have a black baby?"

Voldemort spit his juice back into his cup and roared with laughter. He looked at me and asked when he calmed down, "Are you serious?"

I smiled nervously.

"You want a black baby? Do I look black?"

"No…" I sighed, "but I absolutely _love_—"

His amused, almost happy expression did not change, but his voice was almost demonically cold, "You will have no other man than me."

I gulped, "My Lord, I am not suggesting that at all."

He raised his right brow, "What are you suggesting, then?"

"That," I nervously bit my bottom lip, "Dark Magic is a wonderful thing,"

H smirked.

"And that you could be black for an hour, if you wanted to. That's all we need to make sure you impregnate me."

Voldemort laughed, but eventually told me, "I'll think about it."

* * *

I leaned against the cold railing of the balcony and stared down at the gorgeous garden several floors below me. I've been waiting for Voldemort for half an hour now, but I'm really rather glad he's late. I was finished getting prepared for the night twenty minutes early, but I'm thankful for the time alone.

I'm wearing what Voldemort told me to: a red, silk dress, and black heels. The heels are about four inches tall, and they straps on the top wrap around the top of my foot and up to my knees. The dress ends about two-thirds of the way down my leg, and the fabric is tight around my body, and really, oddly flattering to my figure. The collar of the dress is like the traditional collar style on these dresses, but it is about an inch open exactly at the middle of my throat, and gradually becomes wider as the opening in the dress goes down further. It's open to my belly button, but after the opening passes my breasts, it gradually becomes narrow again. The dress obviously shows off my breasts, but I've had a charm put on the dress so that I don't have any wardrobe malfunctions. My breasts are safely tucked away, so I'm not nervous about anything dress related tonight. My hair is up in an extremely sophisticated, curly bun, and I did my eye make-up in the style of cat eye. As far as the colors of my make-up is concerned, I did my best to look as natural as possible, and I think I did a pretty good job.

I heard the door to the room creak open, but I didn't bother looking; who's going to come in here besides Voldemort? He nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck and breathed in the vanilla lotion I rubbed into my skin, "You look how you smell."

I whispered back, "How's that?"

"Delicious."

I grinned, "Good thing you're not a cannibal."

Voldemort chuckled and then nibbled on my right earlobe. He ran his hands up and down my sides a few times before telling me, "I'm going to be crowned tonight, are you ready?"

I drew in a deep breath before responding, "Yes."

"Good." He nibbled on my earlobe one more time before taking a step back. He wrapped his left arm around my waist and walked us down to the ballroom of the Chinese palace. I gasped at the sight of the room; trained dragons flew in circles near the glass ceiling, and both magical creatures and wizards were in the room. The same second we entered the room was the second that three fourths of the room dropped to their knees and bowed to him, the rest bowed at the waist. Voldemort smirked deviously while walking up to a silver throne. Serpents made out of emeralds wrapped around the large silver throne; lions made from gold decorated a smaller throne next to his, a throne that's probably for me. The Death Eaters he stationed here from England bowed at the waist and then clapped for us while we walked up the five steps of the platform and seated ourselves on the thrones.

Voldemort summoned his Chinese translator over and then instructed everyone to stand again. He stood up and gave a passionate speech about how this is the real right choice for China, and how in no time at all he'll have control over the wizarding world. He said that together they were going to restore the world to the natural order, purebloods on top. The Chinese Minister of Magic walked up to him, bowed, and then handed him a crown. Voldemort's greedy, excited eyes drank in the sight of the platinum, jeweled crown; he crowned himself and subtly shivered as the magic of monarchial power washed over him.

He smirked and then told me to stand up. I gulped, but I did so. Voldemort took a smaller crown from the Minister and then placed it gently upon my head. I shivered as the Dark Magic traveled from the crown, to my head, and all the way down to my toes. Voldemort smirked and then wrapped his arms around my waist. He pulled me against his chest and then kissed me on the lips. I couldn't help the small groan that came from me as he roughly kissed me. He smirked against my lips, but tightened his arms as the Dark Magic in our crowns connected as our lips did. The feeling is indescribable; it was the most painful, yet most pleasurable physical feeling of my life. Voldemort broke away from me after the magic intertwined between us and smiled deviously. He turned back to the crowd and exclaimed that the world is theirs.

**xXx**

I collapsed onto his chest and gasped. Voldemort slid his left arm underneath his pillow to give his head extra support, smirked at me, and then played with the curls near my face with his right index finger. I looked up at him with tired eyes and slowly breathed normally again. His smirk widened, "You like top, ehy?"

I smirked, "Yes, my Lord."

Voldemort wiggled his brows half suggestively, half playfully, "Well, I like you on top, too."

I slid my hands off of his chest and onto the mattress. I used them for support as I inched up from his chest to his face. I hovered my lips above his and whispered, "I'm glad I please you."

His smirk was almost from ear to ear; he whispered in reply, "As am I."

I placed a soft kiss on his lips and smirked, too. "I am the wife of the most powerful man in existence."

Voldemort stole a quick kiss and said, "Turns you on, doesn't it?"

I chuckled and then straddled him again, but I didn't slip him into me. I pressed my hands against his chest and gently tossed my head back in order to get my hair off of my face. I smirked down at him while his eyes scanned my body, "I'd be lying if I said no."

Voldemort slowly sat up and rested against the headboard. He loosely wrapped his left arm around my hips and brought me closer to him. I kept my hands pressed against his chest, but I cocked my head slightly to the right. Voldemort ran his right hand through my hair and rubbed my curls in between his fingers, "I am the husband of the most gorgeous woman in existence."

I giggled, "Turns you on, doesn't it?"

He sighed against my lips before kissing me, "Yes."

He slowly ran his hands up and down my back while gazing at me. Several candles lit the room, but it was still on the dark side, so maybe it was the lack of light that gave his face such a tranquil and happy look. Voldemort kissed me a few more times before saying, "The world is going to be mine very soon, Neemie; I'll be able to give you anything you want."

I sighed and nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck. I decided not to tell him that the only thing that I wanted was to still be married to Draco, and to be living with him, and to have my family happy again. He couldn't give me that, he wouldn't give me that even if he could. So I sighed again and asked, "How do you insure their loyalty, my Lord?"

He smirked and played with my hair again. He held me to him with his left arm and quietly answered me, "There are several magical vows that my followers take. The Dark Mark serves purposes they don't know about," he chuckled, "I can't give them the Dark Mark if they don't truly believe, Neema. And if that's the case, they just die on the spot of me giving them it."

I breathed against his neck and watched as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up; my breath is warm and his neck is cold. "And how about the leaders of the countries? The ones you've appointed?"

"Dark Magic immediately tortures and then kills them if they even _think_ about trying to betray me, Neemie."

I sighed and then laughed.

"What?"

"I'm just in awe."

Cockiness filled his voice, "Why?"

"I'm amazed by your accomplishments, and how you found so many people to support you."

Voldemort laughed. I was afraid he'd lash out and hurt me, but he laughed. "Oh Neemie," he sighed, "Most people really aren't as good as you think they are. You're really quite a rare find."

I relaxed against his body and started to become sleepy. I yawned and then said, "It's a good thing that I'm making more, then."

Voldemort laughed and then kissed the top of my head, "How would you like to be a speaker for me in Greece and Italy?"

I shrugged and mumbled, "For what? Why?"

Voldemort carefully rolled onto his side and held me with his right arm. He slid his left arm underneath our pillows and rested his chin on the top of my head. I cuddled into him as he told me, "You are persuasive, and you are from that part of the world; they are yet to align themselves with me, and I've quickly grown annoyed with that."

I laughed and said, "How surprising."

Voldemort sighed and then said, "I'll take that as a yes, now go to bed."

I yawned and stretched my body against his, "Okay."

Voldemort smirked and yawned.

**

* * *

**

I wandered the corridors of the palace with boredom. Voldemort is in France this week, setting everything straight, and I have nothing to do. I walked past a small group of patrolling Death Eaters, but quickly turned around and walked with them. I was starting to show now; I'm half way through my fourth month, and it's obvious that I'm pregnant now. Old man Orion looked at my belly and smiled. "Good morning, my Lady. How are you?"

"I'm well," I smiled and absent–mindedly straightened my red, purple, and brown plaid shirt. "How are you, Orion? How are your children? Your grandchildren?"

"They're all fine," he continued to smile even though the other two Death Eaters were clearly nervous, "except for Bellatrix, but I've decided her insane for quite some time now."

I laughed and then said, "I must agree with you, Orion."

He laughed and then asked me, "It's a lovely day out, my Lady, would you like to go strolling in the gardens?"

I shrugged and sighed, "I'm still not supposed to go outside by myself."

"We'd be more than happy to accompany you."

I smiled, "That would be nice, Orion. I would appreciate it."

Orion looked over at the other two, "You two pansies can stay inside or come out with us, but stop worrying."

I laughed and Orion playfully winked at me.

The two Death Eaters glared at him, but then I said, "The Dark Lord will only punish you if you try to cause me some sort of harm or wrong doing. Unless you're plotting against me, or him, you have nothing to worry about." I ignored them while Orion smiled; we walked to the end of the corridor, took a left, half way down that corridor, and then walked outside to a garden. We walked around for a while, just talking about our day so far, until we walked past an old fashioned swing, like the kinds that hang from the overhand over people's porches. I sat down on one end and Orion sat at the other. He rocked the swing at a comfortable and slow pace, "Do you have any plans for the day, my Lady?"

"I was considering taking up painting, to tell you the truth."

"Oh?" he turned his head to the right to look at me, "May I ask why?"

I shrugged, "I find myself becoming more and more interested in the arts. I can play music, but it's starting to bore me, and I can draw just fine. I figured painting would be a fun exploration of my skills."

"Would you like me to tell someone to gather some supplies for you?"

"I appreciate the offer," I turned my head to the left and looked at him, "but I am yet to ask for permission from our Lord."

"Ahh," Orion nodded, "I see. I am under the impression that he will be returning tomorrow afternoon."

"I'll ask him then."

Orion didn't say anything.

I sighed, "Orion?"

"Yes, my Lady?"

I smiled weakly and stared as the sun lit up his white hair. His face was wrinkled, but it didn't look old. His blue eyes were tired and stressed, but they were happy. The ends of his white mustache slightly moved with the breeze; I stared at him for another minute and wondered if this is what Draco would have looked like. This is great grandfather, after all. "What happened to your wife?"

Orion smiled weakly, "She passed twelve years ago."

"Oh," I whispered, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, my Lady, I've moved on."

"You don't miss her?"

He looked shocked, "Of course I miss her, but I no longer dwell on her death. She wouldn't want me to be miserable for the rest of my life, she'd want me to live the rest of my life as happy as possible."

A genuine smile crept onto my face, "That's good to hear."

He smiled and then said, "It's not safe to speak of Him."

I nodded and then stared off at the yellow, exotic flowers to my right. They were yellow, but the yellow was pale; I couldn't help but to think of Draco. I gulped and then I asked, "Why, do you think, he took me? Why _me?_"

Orion gulped, "I cannot say for a fact, my Lady, but I think that our Lord took you because of your beauty. I think that he _kept_ you for reasons I don't know, perhaps for the basics of your personality, my Lady."

I laughed, "He doesn't like me, he _can't_."

Orion shrugged, "Like I said, my Lady, I don't know for a fact, that is just my guess. I believe that he can genuinely like others, but it is a very rare happening."

I smiled to refrain from laughing, "Then I won the lottery."

Orion laughed, "That's a good feeling to have."

I laughed and watched as the breeze made the flowers dance. I smiled and promised myself that I won't let Voldemort do to my children what he has done to me. He will not harm Draco's son in any way; I will protect him no matter what, even if that means selling the rest of my soul. If I am allowed to have a black child, then I won't let him or her be discriminated by the others in this palace, and I won't let Voldemort hurt him/her, either; even the children that come from Voldemort will not be abused, they will not be harmed. My daughters will not be abused like how I've been abused, and then can marry whatever man – or other woman – that they want. The only time I will interfere with their love life is if they are involved with an abusive man, or someone who is the epitome of a piece of shit. I will raise my daughters to be polite, but strong, smart women, and I will raise my sons to be well-mannered, intelligent, good men.

"My Lady?"

I sucked in a breath and then turned my head to the left, "Yes, Orion?"

"It's starting to get cloudy again, would you like to start walking back to the palace?"

I sighed and stood up, "No, but I don't want to be rained on."

Orion laughed and stood up. We quietly walked back to the palace; he rejoined the group of Death Eaters he was patrolling with earlier and I walked to my library. I asked Daisy to walk around with me; she put down the book I suggested to her last night and walked around the castle with me. I purposely walked past Bellatrix and smiled. She glared at me, but didn't say or do anything. Daisy and I walked to the part of the palace that I've never walked around before. We were scared, but our fear quickly disappeared as we explored. I couldn't help but to wonder how a boy who started as an orphan turned into the most powerful man on the earth, and how did he discovered all the different things a room could shelter? An art room? Isn't that a bit much? I guess not when it comes to the Dark Lord.

Daisy looked up at me while we continued walking, "Mistress?"

"Yes, Daisy?"

"Mistress seems more relaxed with Him lately, have things changed for Mistress?"

I shrugged and sighed, "I've accepted my fate, that's all."

Daisy nodded, "Mistress seems to like him even. Does Master treat Mistress better than before?"

"Yes," I nodded, "he is surprisingly kind to me now, to tell you the truth, Daisy. Granted, I do take the blame for things I didn't realize I did," I smirked and Daisy giggled, "and I have been behaving better for his standards and what not."

"Does this mean that Mistress is happy again?"

I shrugged and sighed again, "As happy as I can be, for the time being anyway." I smiled down at her and patted my stomach, "Rastus will make me truly happy again."

With genuine curiosity, Daisy asked me, "Master allowed that name?"

"I had to ease him into the idea, but he eventually agreed to the name."

"Daisy is happy for Mistress. Daisy is excited for Mistress."

"Thanks, Daisy." I smiled and looked down to see her, "I want some ice cream, do you want some?"

"Daisy has never had ice cream."

"Would you like to try some?"

"Only if Mistress wants me to."

"I think you'd like it, Daisy, so lets go have some."

"Okay Mistress. Thank you, Mistress."

I nodded and started to walk towards one of the kitchens in the palace. I walked us to the kitchen that Voldemort ordered my mother to design for me, and ordered my father to give a long and thorough list of all the foods I like. Bellatrix thought that this was ridiculous, so I put Rodolphus in charge of keeping it stocked. That drove Bellatrix mad; I had sex with her husband, and now I'm making him my pregnancy bitch.

I helped Daisy onto a stool by the counter and found two waffle cones, one for Daisy, and one for me. I gave Daisy a size scoop that I thought she could eat, and then I gave myself two scoops of the strawberry ice cream. Daisy absolutely loved the ice cream. Her eyes were huge with happiness as she carefully ate it; she didn't want to accidentally drop any of her ice cream. I took my time eating my two scoops, but I ate it over a paper towel so I wouldn't make a mess.

**

* * *

**

I jumped a foot out of my seat and screamed from surprise. Voldemort purposely loudly popped into my library via apparating. He laughed and then asked, "Did you miss me?"

I sighed, "Did you need to scare me to ask?"

He faked innocence in his facial expression, "I scared you?"

"You do have that affect on people."

He laughed again and walked up to me. He put his hands on my armrests and leaned closer to me. I sighed, slid my bookmark into the book, and then closed it. I sat it down on my lap and looked up at a smirking Voldemort while he said, "I had a very rough week in France."

"Did you?"

He quickly raised and lowered his brows and licked his lips, "Yes, the Minister of France pissed me off to no end."

"Aww," I pouted with fake sympathy, "I'm so sorry, honey."

Voldemort laughed, but he quickly switched to being serious, "I'm extremely _frustrated_, and you should know I could have had any woman I wanted—"

I got up and pressed my body against his. He smirked, but I slipped away from him before he could wrap his arms around my body. I walked over to the coffee table several feet away from my armchair and placed the book down on it. Voldemort followed me over; I looked at him over my left shoulder and said, "I'm flattered."

"As well you should be."

I walked over to the counter and motioned for Daisy to leave. She briskly jogged out of the library while I quickly heaved myself onto the counter. I inattentively swung my legs back and forth and watched as he approached me. He put his hands on either side of me and stood in-between my legs. I drew in a deep breath before saying, "I'm very tired tonight—"

He snapped, "Then why did you stay up so late?"

"I was waiting for you."

Voldemort remained silent.

I loosely wrapped my arms around his neck, "If you can hold out for one more night, I promise you that I'll blow your mind tomorrow."

He smirked, "Not my cock?"

I rolled my eyes, "You know what I mean."

Voldemort wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him. I looked up at him at the same time he looked down at me. He kissed the tip of my nose, "I want you. Now."

I sighed and cuddled into him, "I really am tired. I'll be lousy, I guarantee it."

He raised his right brow and smirked, "There's only one way to know for sure."

"A time turner?"

He laughed but then felt me up.

I rolled my eyes and slowly slid down his body. He smirked as I got on my knees and unbuckled his belt. I really don't want to do anything tonight, I honestly am tired, and I honestly was waiting up for him. If I wasn't alert when he came around he'd throw a shit fit, and if I don't just give him pleasure, he'll just take it. This really is my best option.

So stop judging me.

Right now.

Stop it.

Anyway, I wiggled my brows up at him and unbuttoned his trousers. He sucked in a breath and smirked while I used my teeth to pull down his zipper. I slipped his trousers down to his ankles, winked at him, and then pulled his boxers down at an excruciatingly slow pace. I wiggled my brows and then licked my lips, causing him to chuckle and then sigh. It took him five minutes to get off, which was nice since I really was tired. Voldemort pulled his boxers and trousers back up and watched with half open eyes while I stood back up. "You're still blowing my mind tomorrow."

I shrugged, "Okay."

Voldemort smirked and wrapped his right arm around me. We walked up to our bedroom, quietly got dressed in our pajamas, and then situated ourselves in bed. I slept on my edge and groggily stared out at the balcony, looking at the twinkling night sky. Voldemort tossed and turned for several minutes until deciding to spoon me. He rested his chin an inch above my head, so I asked him, "Why do you like holding me so much?"

He bitterly retorted, "You're my wife."

"I know that. I just never pictured you as a cuddler, that's all."

He smirked and loudly breathed out of his nose, signaling to me that he's humored, but he's tired. "I like to hold things when I sleep. Squeezing you makes me comfortable."

I stayed silent.

"You're soft and you're warm and you smell good. And you're mine."

I rolled my eyes, but then I said something that didn't even go through my mind, it just popped out of my mouth. "I like when you hold me."

He was shocked, "What?"

I gulped, what the hell was I talking about? Why the hell did I say that? "I like when you hold me when we're sleeping."

"Why?"

I gulped again, "I like being held."

Voldemort chuckled, "Good thing I like holding, then."

I chuckled, "Good thing." I sighed and then stretched my body for a moment. I slid my left arm underneath my pillow and gently nuzzled my face into the pillow. Voldemort squeezed me a bit closer to him with his right arm and slid his left arm under the pillow, too. He nuzzled his face slightly into my hair and rested his arm against mine. I yawned and slid my right hand off of the mattress, across my stomach, unto my side, and then down his arm. I slid my fingers in between his and loosely held his hand as he held me. He smiled gave me a good night squeeze.

Yes, he _**smiled**_.

**

* * *

**

The sand was warm in between my toes. It didn't burn to be standing barefoot; the sand was just the right temperature to stand on and be happy. I put my hands on the back of my neck and smiled at the clear water of the calm ocean. A dolphin occasionally jumped out of the water and did that notorious laugh/cackle thing they do. Draco walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. He lovingly kissed the top of my head, making me smile. "You and Voldemort are getting along better."

I sighed, "I'm just doing what you said."

"I'm not mad."

I leaned back against him.

He rubbed my growing belly and said, "If you keep this up you can have your black baby."

I laughed, "You were there for that?"

"I'm almost always with you."

I smiled and looked up at him. "I love you, Draco."

He smiled and kissed my forehead, "I love you, too, Neema."

"When are you not with me?"

"When you two have sex. I don't wanna see that."

I laughed, "I don't blame you."

Draco laughed, "Good."

I sighed, "Do I really get to have a black baby?"

"Well, a biracial baby. You're not black."

I shrugged, "Whatever."

"Boy or girl?"

Draco wiggled his brows and smiled, "I can't tell you."

"You can't or you won't?"

Draco laughed, "You're too smart."

I playfully rolled my eyes.

He smiled and happily sighed, "The majority of your children will be boys. Voldemort favors boys, so you're not going to have a girl until he adjusts to children around him."

I leaned my head back on his shoulder, "That's good."

"Mhmm." Draco slid his hands up my white, cotton shirt and tucked them under my breasts. I laughed and he smirked while he tucked my shirt under my breasts; he lovingly rubbed my stomach and said, "I'm excited for Rastus to be born."

I gently placed my hands over his, "Me too."

"Rastus is excited, too."

I laughed, "I'm sure he is."

"I would be," Draco smirked, "I'd hate to be chillin in the womb when a dick was constantly trying—"

"Oh goodness!" I shouted, "You can stop there."

Draco laughed and then said, "Lets sit down."

I nodded my head and slowly sat down. He sat down behind me, his legs on either side of me, and his hands still on my stomach. He rested his head on top of mine and stared out at the clear ocean, smiling at the dolphins that popped up. "Draco?" I sighed and played with the warm sand, rolling the grains around in my hands.

He nuzzled his face into my neck and breathed in the smell of my clean hair, "Yes?"

"What should I do to keep Voldemort happy, besides continue what I'm already doing?"

Draco shrugged, "Just don't frustrate him. Just do what he wants. He likes things the most when things are going his way."

I sighed and then looked up at him, "Do you just lurk around me or …?"

Draco smiled and rested his left cheek against my right, "I walk around next to you, I scare away spiders from entering your library, and I lay down next to you when you sleep when Voldemort isn't around. I know you don't like to sleep alone."

Tears started to form in my eyes, but they were tears of happiness. "I love you so much."

Draco turned his head to kiss me. When we pulled away, he said, "I was in the garden with you yesterday, when you were walking around with my great grandfather."

I stared at him with happy eyes, "Those pale flowers made me think of you."

"I knew you looked in love."

I laughed.

"At first I thought you had some weird thing for my great grandfather, but then I realized you were day dreaming when you were staring at the flowers, and I knew you were thinking about me."

I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck. I whispered, "Life isn't as good without out."

"The after life doesn't feel great without you."

I smiled against the flesh of his skin, "Earth isn't worth walking when I'm not holding your hand."

"My angel roaming the earth makes Heaven far less utopic."

I kissed his neck and said, "I wish I could lapse into a mini coma and just stay on this beach with you for months on end."

Draco laughed, "I wish the same."

I yawned and closed my eyes, "I'm awfully exhausted."

"You need to get some rest."

"I'd rather stay with you."

"I know," he held me lovingly and slowly rocked me left to right, "but you need to rest."

"When will I see you again? I go many nights without you."

"I know," Draco sighed, "I know."

I yawned again, but then I smirked, "Will you tell me a story then?"

Draco laughed, "Alright."

I completely relaxed against his body as he held and swayed me. "We're classic characters in history, and our most current story will go down in history, too."

"What are you talking about?" I yawned.

Draco smiled and kissed the top of my head, "When you come up here you get all this knowledge. Things you forgot, things you didn't realize existed, it's amazing. I won't bother telling you _how_ you get the knowledge, I don't want to spoil parts of your arrival, so I'll just tell you some of the things that I've found out."

"Okay," I turned my head to the left and kissed his shoulder, "okay."

"Souls have the choice to go back to Earth or not. They get asked every fifty years after their arrival here. Most souls go back at least once, but souls are also created all the time. As for us," he smiled and rested his head next to mine, "we often go back."

I smiled and looked at him with tired, but happy eyes. "Tell me some of our stories?"

Draco squeezed me, "This isn't the first time you were beautiful."

I giggled, "Thanks."

"And this wasn't the first time I wasn't supposed to be with you."

I laughed and then sighed.

"You were Cleopatra and I was Anthony."

"So we were always sex crazed?"

Draco laughed, "Yeah, I guess so."

Draco held my hands and lovingly squeezed them, "You were Juliet and I was Romeo."

"But that's just a play by Shakespeare."

Draco smirked, "He had to get inspiration, didn't he?"

I smiled and breathed in deeply, "I suppose so."

"About a third of lovers in folklore and mythology are based off of us."

"Really?"

"Really."

"In the eighteen hundreds, we lived in some southern state in the States. I was a black man, and you were a white woman." Draco shrugged, "A few white boys found out about us and I was killed. You died twenty years later giving birth to like your hundredth child."

I shivered, "That's terrible," I sighed, "but I guess that's just life on Earth."

Draco laughed, "I guess so." He squeezed my hands again, "During the muggle war in the forties—"

"World War Two?"

"Yeah, that one." Draco said, "You were a Greek seamstress and I was a Nazi."

"How unfamiliar."

Draco laughed, "I know, I was surprised, too."

I laughed and relaxed against him again.

"You came from a large family, surprise, surprise."

I laughed.

"And you and your sisters were seamstresses to help bring in money. I saw you one day in your shop while I was walking around Athens with a few other Nazis. I purposely ripped the fabric covering my knee a block away so I could come into the shop and meet you."

I smiled, "I'm flattered."

Draco chuckled and kissed my right cheek, "I continuously ripped areas of my uniforms until I finally had the courage to ask you out on a honestly innocent, late night date. I knew there'd be trouble if we openly dated, so we kept it on the down low." Draco gulped, "We did this for a year until I took your virginity down at the beach. We hid away near a cliff, but somehow, someway, we were seen." Draco gulped again and whispered, "The next day I was hassled by other officers. I had to talk a lot of shit; I broke your heart, and the next few years were terrible. But when the war was over, I came back, and I explained myself to you. I told you that if I wasn't so horrible we could have faced very terrible, very real danger. To my surprise, you forgave me." Draco squeezed my hands, "And we grew old together. Much to the dismay of most of your family, by the way."

"Yet another surprise."

Draco laughed and I smiled. We were silent for a long time before he said, "We were slaves in the seventeen hundreds, but we escaped to Florida and built a life together. Did you know that our past lives shaped a lot of the romantic folklore of the Irish and the Spanish?"

I smiled and then yawned, "It seems that we're often separated by horrors, and I think that when I come to join you, we shouldn't go back for a long time."

Draco smiled and kissed my cheek again, "Agreed."

I laughed and then yawned, "I love you, Draco."

"I love you, too." Draco then laughed.

"What?" I whispered out, "What's so funny?"

"It's just that when I came here, _so_ many people wanted to know this new story about us. We're famous, you know." He laughed again, "So many people are amazed by our love. Many of our lives have been filled with pain, but we're honest to God soul mates, Neema. We always find each other, and we almost always get to be together. And even if things turn out terribly for us on Earth, we're always reunited here."

I smiled and kissed his cheek, "I do need to rest, but I want you to lay down next to me, regardless of Voldemort."

"I will," Draco hugged me, "I will."

**

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**ONE MONTH LATER**

I have become ridiculously round; I've just started my fifth month and I already feel like I'm ready to pop. Voldemort has provided me with the best pregnancy and adolescent doctor in England; the last time I saw her, about a month ago, I asked her what exercises I could do that wouldn't put strain on my pregnancy. She gave me a surprisingly long and thorough list of safe exercises. I've filled a lot of my free time with those exercises, so my arms, shoulders, back, and legs have become more defined, but my stomach has grown. Not that I'm complaining, I love my belly. Voldemort is not a fan, but I'm not fat, I'm just carrying Rastus around. Drea came over in the morning; she painted on my belly and put earphones on it so Rastus could be entertained. We had a pretty fun day, until Voldemort came home. He apparated into the gardens, the area where we were, and stared at Drea. "What is she doing here?"

I gulped, "She's keeping me company."

"Why?"

"Because I despise the majority of your Death Eaters here."

Voldemort sighed; Drea didn't think much of it, but I knew he was angry. "Why do my Death Eaters displease you?"

"They're either awkward or cold. Or Bellatrix."

Voldemort's lips curled with amusement because of the last part of my statement. I looked at Drea over my right shoulder and whispered, "You should leave. Now."

She nodded and immediately apparated home.

Voldemort laughed and asked me, "She still fears me?"

"I couldn't imagine why."

He sighed and shook his head from left to right, "You interrupted us before I could get some real touching done. There is no reason for her to be so—"

I rolled my eyes and started to walk away, but he grabbed my right bicep with extreme force and tightness. I gasped from the pain and glared at him. "Let go of me."

Voldemort glared back down at me and growled, "Who do you think you are?"

"A very hormonal wife of the Dark Lord."

His glare lessened, but he was still upset with me. "Don't you walk away from me, especially when I'm talking to you."

I shook my arm away from him, "Okay."

"Okay?" He was angry again. His nostrils flared and he dug his fingertips into my flesh. I gulped from the pain, but I didn't make a sound; I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of my pain. "I've been gone all month, I've allowed you to go outside by yourself, and I've even given you your wand for the time of my absence, and all you can say is okay?"

I gulped again and looked up into his angry eyes. I drew in a deep breath and erased the hate from my face. I bit down on my bottom lip for a few seconds before saying, "I'd be able to thank you better if you let go of me."

Voldemort let go of me, but his facial expression stayed the same. I drew in a deep breath and pressed my body softly against his. I wrapped my arms loosely around his neck and looked up at him while resting my head on his chest. "Thank you for the gifts, my Lord."

The glare disappeared off of his face, but he was still angry.

I sighed and stood up on my tiptoes, "And I've missed you."

Voldemort snaked his arms around my middle, but he didn't say anything.

I kissed his cheek and whispered, "It's harder for me to sleep knowing that you're not near."

He brushed his nose against the hair near my ear and said, "Is that so?"

"_Mhmm,_" I purred and nuzzled my face into his neck, "The Death Eaters obviously don't like me much. Except for Orion, but that's probably just because he's polite."

Voldemort sighed and relaxed. "I've told them to respect you."

"They respect me and all," I stood back on my whole foot, not just my tiptoes, "but they don't like me, and I don't like them. Life is terribly boring without you."

Voldemort kissed the top of my head and then softly told me, "Tell me how."

I rested my head against his chest, "You're smart. You're witty. You can be charming."

Voldemort chuckled softly.

I resisted rolling my eyes and snuggled closer to him. I smiled up at him, "You've been very nice to me the last few months."

Voldemort squeezed me to him.

I stood back up on my tiptoes and kissed his Adam's apple. He smirked with amusement and then looked down at me. I smiled again and said, "And I'm glad you're back, because I've missed you."

He yawned and looked down at me, "I'm tired. I've had a long month in Turkey."

I backed away from him and gently grabbed his left hand in my right. "Shall we go inside, my Lord?"

"Yes," he sighed, "I need some sleep."

We started to walk inside; I swung our hands back and forth and looked at all the flowers on the walk back inside. We were two thirds of the way there before I looked at him and asked, "What countries have aligned themselves with you?"

He thought my question over in his mind for a minute before replying, "Russia, China, India, the Koreas… All of the Asian countries, now that I think of it."

I just nodded.

"And every country in Europe now, except for Spain. Turkey agreed to be a part of the New World with me this morning."

I wanted to laugh at his lame title, but asked him instead, "Shall I go to Spain, too?"

Voldemort smiled – actually smiled – down at me and said, "You're much too pregnant. I won't allow you traveling so far when you're this pregnant."

I stopped walking, forcing him to stop walking. I grabbed his hands and placed them on my stomach. I smiled, "Rastus is happy."

Voldemort rolled his eyes, but then he felt a kick. He stared down at my stomach with curiosity and amazement. He rolled my green, cashmere shirt up to under my breasts and rubbed his hands against my stomach until he felt another kick. "Why's he doing this?"

I laughed, "Because he's moving around."

Voldemort looked into my happy eyes, "Why?"

I wanted to tell him to stop being an idiot and that all babies kick, but I put my hands over his and told him, "I suppose he's missed you, too."

Voldemort dropped down to his knees and pressed his left ear against my pregnant belly. He held onto my hips as he listened to Rastus moving about; without changing his position, he said, "How far along are you now?"

"Fifth month."

He sighed, "So you have four more months left?"

"Yes."

"It sounds like he wants to come out now."

I laughed and ran my right hand through his hair. I put my left hand on my lower back and played with his short, thick, black hair, "I don't blame him with the way you fuck."

Voldemort roared with laughter and looked up at me. Rastus kicked very hard in response to his laugh, so I put my left index finger on Voldemort's parted lips and said, "_Shhss,_ you're scaring him."

Voldemort rolled his eyes, "Good."

I sighed and rolled my eyes, but I looked down at him with surprise when he placed a soft kiss on my lower stomach. I gulped and whispered, "What was that for?"

"This boy is making sure you're capable of having my children."

That wasn't really an answer, but I said, "Thank you," nonetheless.

Voldemort gave my stomach a few more kisses before pulling my shirt down and standing back up. He cradled my face in his hands and whispered, "We're going to take a nap, then you're going to discuss muggle history with me."

"Okay," I smiled with amusement, "but may I ask why muggle history, my Lord?"

Voldemort sighed, grabbed my right hand, and started to walk back towards the palace. "Because I've been thinking about all your talk on the American Revolution."

I looked at him with curiosity as we walked inside, down the corridor, and up several staircases. He opened the door to our room, watched me enter it, and then closed and locked it behind him. I carefully shed my clothes and put on a nightgown. I laid down on my back and turned my head to the right. I watched as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt, hung it up, and then did the same basic thing with his pants. He looked at his winter pajamas, at the bed, back at his winter pajamas, and then back at the bed. He tiredly sighed, kicked off his shoes, and then walked over to the bed. He slipped under the covers and put his right hand under his head, using his left hand to pull the sheets up to the middle of our chests. I scooted closer to him and rested my head on his chest. He wrapped his left arm around me while I asked, "Why are you thinking about the American Revolution?"

He sighed again, "A group of angry nobodies defeated the greatest nation of the time."

"Are you worried that an uprising will challenge you, my Lord?"

Voldemort chuckled, "To tell you the truth, I'm curious as to _how_ that all happened."

"Well," I yawned, "they out witted the British. They brought them further inland, making their supply line longer. They fought on their own land, so they knew the areas. Washington set up a spy network, getting information on the British. And the Americans fought in a style that the British never used or went up against."

Voldemort tapped his fingertips against my back, "When I speak of battle plans with my Death Eaters, you shall attend the meeting and give your opinions when it is appropriate."

I yawned and then drew in a deep breath, "I will, my Lord."

"Good," he sighed and then looked at me. He smirked and then said, "Pregnancy has been good to you."

I looked up at him with sleepy, curious eyes, "What do you mean?"

"Your skin is clearer than ever, and your practically glow."

I tiredly laughed, "Thank you."

He drew in a deep breath, "Your skin was almost always clear, of course, but you now have a glow about you that I've seldom seen."

I turned onto my right side and snuggled closer to him. I rested my head on his chest and ran my hand up his torso and onto his chest. "It's called happiness."

Voldemort chuckled, but then sighed and said, "I knew you'd eventually like it here."

I kept my eyes closed and rolled them. I absent-mindedly tapped my fingers against his chest, "Alright, Nostradamus."

Voldemort smirked and then yawned. He started to play with my hair while he said, "I've been to a lot of places, Neema, and I can say without hesitance or lie that you're the most gorgeous woman to walk the Earth."

I kissed his chest.

He twirled a curl around his index finger, "And you're not just another bimbo. I've had many women, Neema, and you're easily one of the brightest. Time will make you the brightest."

I couldn't help but to feel jealous. I've only had two men before him, and he's had so many women that he would have to sit down and seriously think about it before he could give anyone an actual number. I didn't want to dwell on the feeling, so I laughed at his choice of words and said, "Thank you, sir."

Voldemort chuckled, "You're smart, too, is what I'm saying. I enjoy that you're not an idiot."

I sighed again, "'Pose it makes the sex better."

Voldemort laughed, "I've had sex with woman older than you and none of them are as great as you are."

"Well I am Greek."

Voldemort sighed with amusement, "And when we talk we can actually have a conversation."

I stretched my body for a moment before asking, "Why are you telling me all of this, my Lord? You're not usually this open with me."

He was instantly bitter, "You are my wife."

I nodded against his chest, "And for that I am blessed, but I am curious if you had a rough time in Turkey past politics?"

"What do you mean?" He lightly tugged on my hair, warning me not to take this subject too far.

I kissed his chest again and looked up at him, "I'm confident that persuading the Turkish Magical Government did not take you a lot of work, but I am curious if perhaps you did not enjoy your time there?"

Voldemort just sighed and looked away from me. He stared out the open doors of our balcony. "I prefer being alone. I was alone during my Turkey Trip."

I smiled encouragingly, "I know you prefer being alone, my Lord. It allows you to think without interruption."

The corners of his lips twitched, "I never told you that."

"You didn't have to," I kissed the base of his neck, "I'm a good wife, you know."

Voldemort's lips slowly curled into a very small smile, "I know, Neema, I know."

I sighed and relaxed my body again, "May I ask you a question, my Lord?"

"You just did."

I rolled my eyes.

"Yes."

I gulped and whispered, "Did you miss me?"

Voldemort stopped playing with my hair and looked down at me. He was quiet for a long time before sighing and replying, "You would have been useful if you were there. I wouldn't have had to bother myself with a translator, and you would have relieved me of my stresses when we were alone."

I sighed and closed my eyes. That was probably the closet to, "Yes, I missed you." that I'll ever get, so I further relaxed my body in order to sleep, "Good to know."

Voldemort quietly played with my hair again. He twirled my curls around his fingers, occasionally pulling my hair. He yawned after five minutes of silence and said, "Come with me on my next political trip."

I mumbled our, "Okay," and fell asleep.

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**A/N: Please review!**

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**A/N: alicam: Thanks for the feedback. :]**

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**A/N: scara1: :/ I'd laugh because they were caught. :P**


	7. Brace Myself

**Chapter Seven: Brace Myself

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I woke up alone, but that didn't depress me. If anything, waking up alone made my evening better. I always expect to wake up to Draco; when I wake up to Voldemort instead of Draco, I immediately want to die. To be honest, if I wasn't pregnant, if I only had my life to worry about, I would spend all my time figuring out how to commit suicide despite being immortal.

I rolled over to find a small piece of parchment with the gorgeous calligraphy from the hand of death. I yawned, stretched, and then carefully picked up the parchment off of his pillow. It said:

_Neema,_

_There are no meetings tonight, and traveling is not a part of my evening plans._

_Be in the main garden, near the pond, by nine o'clock at the latest._

_Sincerely,_

_Marv_

I chuckled at the note; he signed the thing as my pet name for him, but he used sincerely. For someone who is supposed to be the most powerful man on Earth, supposed to be the one person who no one is allowed to mock or criticize, to be so… I guess that actually does make sense. He's a cruel son of a bitch, he's not going to sign it, 'with love' or anything, but still. I'm his wife, and he's been unbelievably nice to me; 'sincerely' just doesn't seem like the word to use. Regardless of the lack of affection, I rolled out of bed, took a quick rinse off shower, and then slipped into a warm, non-itchy, wool, sweater dress. The dress is dark green and ends several inches before my knees, so I incoherently mumbled to myself while searching my closet for a pair of tights. After three or four minutes of searching, I found a pair of black, thick tights, and quickly, but carefully, put them on. I slid my feet into the first pair of dark green flats I found, grabbed my wand off of a dresser, and then rushed out of my room since it's eight fifty.

I basically waddled down the several flights of stairs to the main floor, and then jogged out of the palace and to the main garden. I reached the pond at nine oh two and silently prayed for Voldemort not to care about the two extra minutes. I did my best to calm my heavy breathing while I walked to the part of the pond with lit, floating candles. He wasn't around, so I figured that when nine o'clock passed, so did his patience and desire to be around. My body stiffened as I inhaled a startled breath; he wrapped his left arm around me and brushed my hair off of my right shoulder. He firmly pressed his lips against my neck and then whispered, "You're late."

I gulped and whispered back, "I'm sorry, my Lord, I woke up at eight thirty."

"That's no excuse." Voldemort purred and buried his face into the crook of my neck.

I gulped again and cautiously placed my left arm against his and slid my fingers in between his. I nervously licked my lips and pressed them together before turning my head slightly to the right and did my best to look at him. His eyes glinted with a sick mixture of his inner evil and his unnatural attraction to me. His pale lips pressed into a tight smirk as we made awkward eye contact. He chuckled against my neck while I said, "My sincerest apologizes, Lord."

"You smell good," he sighed and then ran his hands up and down my sides, "you feel good," he then stood up, "and you look good. Your tardiness is forgiven, but don't make it a habit."

I giggled and turned around to face him. I pressed my hands against his chest and my bulging, pregnant belly against his hard, muscular stomach. I looked up at him and smiled, "Thank you."

Without any expression or emotion of his face, he sighed and loosely wrapped his arms around me, "You're not wearing make-up."

I stiffened and frowned, "Do you not like my face?"

Voldemort rolled his eyes and laughed. He cupped my chin with his right hand and tilted my head to his left. He smirked down at me and said, "It's my favorite thing to look at it."

I smiled and brought my left hand up to his right one. I slid my fingers under his palm and took his hand off of my face. He curled his fingers around mine as I brought his hand up to my lips. I gently kissed his hand and then cuddled into him. "I didn't have time to put on make-up, my Lord, or any desire to."

Voldemort laughed and then took a step back from me. He grabbed my right hand in his left and led me to a path that I've never noticed before. The floating candles followed us, but remained ten feet above us, while we started to walk away. He let go of my hand and snaked his arm around my waist. We quietly walked the soft, grassy path until my eyes adjusted to the odd contrast between the bright light from the candles and the darkness of everywhere else. I quietly gasped in awe as I realized all my favorite flowers and trees started to grow. Voldemort grinned at my awe while he walked us down the path for at least half an hour. At the end of the path was a lake that definitely was not on the property before. I looked up at Voldemort, but he started to talk before I could ask him anything.

"Don't worry about the changes; I've had little free time lately, and I needed to use it to calm myself down."

I grinned up at him, "I could calm you down, my Lord."

Voldemort smirked again, "You make me anything but _down_—"

I laughed at his juvenile humor and leaned against him. "I will not question its creation, nor will I question your motives."

"Good," he grinned and kissed the top of my head.

"However," I drew in a deep breath, "I will thank you."

Voldemort's smirk grew as I cuddled against his chest and looked up at him. He snaked his left arm around me and played with a few of my loose, bouncy curls with his right index and middle fingers. "And how will my beautiful," he twisted a curl tightly around his index finger, painfully bringing me closer to him, "creative wife thank me?"

I stood on my tiptoes and drew in a breath as he 'playfully' yanked at the hair around his finger. "With words and kisses."

Voldemort breathed in deeply as I mumbled a thank you and pressed my soft, warm lips against his cold ones. We kissed slowly for a good minute before he pulled away and said, "I was hoping you'd thank me a bit more."

I nervously bit down on my bottom lip and instantly regretted my action; my biting of my lower lip is a huge turn on of Voldemort's. I gulped and then said barely above a whisper while putting his hands on my stomach, "Rastus doesn't want to."

Voldemort raised his right brow while his smirk disappeared, "And why not?"

"He doesn't want you plundering his space at this hour."

Voldemort immediately roared with laughter and got down on his knees. He looked at my stomach and said, "First of all, it's not even ten PM yet, and second of all," he grinned, "an unborn baby isn't going to dictate my actions." Voldemort looked up at me, "So why don't you undress for me?"

I fought back a frown and hoarsely replied, "Yes, my Lord."

"Good," he kissed my stomach and then stood back up. He watched as I quietly undressed and clutched my clothing to my chest. Voldemort raised his right hand and did a fast motion with several of his fingers; a minute later, a bench made from several limbs from a near by tree was created. I placed my clothes down on the bench with hesitance, and then placed my flats underneath the bench. Voldemort quickly and quietly undressed himself, and then he put his clothes next to mine and put his shoes next to my shoes, too. He grabbed my right hand and walked us to the lake. We didn't stop until we were a foot away. I wiggled my toes in the cold sand and looked up at him. He grinned and told me, "C'mon, lets go for a dip."

A breeze gently rolled my curls up into the air as I replied, "It's going to be cold."

"No it's not," he chuckled, "it'll be warm. Now c'mon, lets go."

"But—"

Voldemort glared at me and yanked me forward, "I said lets go!" He bitterly snapped and then hissed, "Don't test me, just listen!"

I quietly squealed from fear and rushed forward in an attempt not to fall on my face. Voldemort basically dragged me into the surprisingly warm water, roughly squeezed my hand, and then let go of my hand. He walked a few feet further and then started to swim around me. I wrapped my arms around my chest and quietly asked, "My, my Lord?"

"Hmm?" he replied while changing his position to float on his back.

I laughed as my eyes swept his body.

In a rather cold voice, he asked, "What's so funny?"

"I've never seen a man floating while having an erection."

Voldemort grinned, "Good."

I rolled my eyes, "Anyway, my Lord?"

"What?"

"I've been wondering…"

"Out with it."

I gulped and refrained from glaring at him, "Since this is my first child, and I have very little experience with babies, may my mother stay with us for a while when our child is born?"

"For what purpose?"

I thought the reasons would be obvious, but I answered him nonetheless, "To help me with the child. To teach me how to take care of a baby."

Voldemort was quiet for a moment before answering me, "She may stay in Slytherin's Palace as long as you learn fast."

I wanted to leap over to him and drown the bastard; who does he think he is? I don't give a damn that he's the Dark Lord, no one is allowed to rush my time with my family! He has taken my soul mate away from me, he has ruined my relationship with my family and my friends, and he hides me away in that God forsaken hellhole he calls a palace. I want to go home. I want to be home, in my room, reading a book. I want to have my sixteenth birthday tomorrow, and I want to refuse to move into the mansion next door to the Malfoy Manor. I want my old life back, I want—

"Neema, did you hear me?"

I drew in a deep breath through my nose and turned my head to the right to look at him, "No, my Lord, I'm sorry."

"I asked you where you want to keep the baby."

"In a crib, right next to my side of the bed."

Voldemort snorted and then stood up instead of floating in slow circles around me. I walked over to a near by, submerged rock and sat down on it. I shivered from the coldness of the air before I looked back over at him, "I never want to be far away from my baby."

Voldemort rolled his eyes and then apparated to my left. He wrapped right arm around me before I could slip off the rock from shock. He pulled me against his warm, right side and rested his hand on my hip. "I don't want to have to wake up every two hours because of it crying."

"You won't."

"And what will happen if it does happen?"

I gulped and shrugged, "That doesn't matter, because it won't happen."

Voldemort chuckled, "And what about when I want you, Neema?"

I sighed, "I'll move the baby into a different room. Better yet," I quietly yawned, "I'll have Orion baby sit him. He's the only person in the palace that I could trust with Rastus."

"Not Bellatrix?" Voldemort grinned.

I rolled my eyes, "Hardy har har."

Voldemort chuckled and then sighed. We sat in silence for a long time, just staring up at the full moon, before Voldemort scooted closer to me and whispered, "I fear that I haven't been paying enough attention to you, Neema. I'm gone quite a bit."

I shrugged and leaned against him. "You have to do what you have to do."

"That's true," he rubbed the tip of his nose against the top of my hair, "But I want to spend more time with you. I don't much like ignoring you."

I laughed and resisted the overwhelming urge to roll my eyes, "I'm flattered, Marv."

Voldemort sighed and kissed the top of my head, "I'm going to start taking you with me on my trips. When Rastus is born, he can come, too."

I smiled and cuddled him, "Thank you. I don't like being left behind, to tell you the truth."

Voldemort slid his right hand up my side and played with my hair, "What else do you not like?"

I softly yawned and rested my head against his shoulder, "I just don't like to be away from you."

Voldemort smiled. At first I thought it was a trick of the candlelight, or maybe the moonlight was interfering with my sight, but no, he was smiling. "Have you fallen in love with me?"

I smirked against his skin and kissed his shoulder, "I'm experiencing Stockholm's at its finest."

Voldemort laughed and then said, "Just as good."

I drew in a deep, tired breath and then quietly said, "How can I be so tired when I just napped?"

"I don't know," Voldemort mumbled, "perhaps Rastus is tired."

I smiled and let myself be completely supported by his body. Voldemort tightly, but still comfortably, held me to him. He stared out at the moon while I stared at its reflection in the water. I heard Greyback howl in the distance and shivered, "Marv?"

"Neema?"

I smiled and then asked, "Will you please forbid Greyback from being any where near our child?"

Voldemort smiled – the bastard must be having a pretty good night – and then said, "Of course, I wouldn't want that freak near my son."

I laughed and then looked up at him. He was still staring up at the moon, but he felt my eyes on his handsome, pale face, so he looked down at him. I carefully raised my right hand and traced his rather pale, pink, almost medium lips with my right index finger tip. I smiled up at him and then ran my hand through his thick, black hair. I happily sighed as he said, "Once I own the Earth, by default, I'll own the moon."

I laughed.

Voldemort swallowed the spit in his mouth and then added, "And I'll give you the moon."

"That's sweet," I kissed his cheek, "but I don't want the moon."

Voldemort somehow, some way, slowly moved us so that I'd be almost completely lying down. My arms propped me up as his arms awkwardly propped him up so that our chests are touching, but he's not forcing me down against the large rock. We're only six, maybe seven inches deep in the water, but I still didn't like being so submissively, so defenselessly positioned.

I gulped while Voldemort whispered, "What do you want?"

I bit the inside of my bottom lip and said in a voice that was barely audible, "I don't know." Which isn't true. I want my old life back, well, really, I want a life with Draco. I want my house by the beach, and I want to be resting in the arms of my husband. I want to be happy and celebrating my unborn child with his real father. I want Voldemort out of my life; I want him dead and unable to ever return, and I want—

Voldemort kissed me softly on the lips and quickly pulled away. He brushed his lips against mine as he looked into my eyes and whispered, "I'll give you anything. I own almost everything. I will soon own everything. I'll give you whatever you want." I gulped and then softly kissed him. He drew in a deep, happy breath and kissed me back. Voldemort pulled away and whispered in my right ear, "Anything, my sweet wife, I'll give you anything you want. Name it and it'll be yours."

I softly sighed and kissed the part of his neck that I could reach, "I can't name a thing I want at this hour, my sweet megalomaniac."

Voldemort chuckled.

"But I do know that I want that damn Bellatrix out of your palace."

"Our palace," Voldemort sighed and slowly pressed me down against the water. He magically made the rock grow so that when I laid down I'd be in two inches of water, instead of freaking out about drowning in six inches of water. He kissed all over my face, my lips, and then down both sides of my neck before mumbling, "_Our_ palace, Neemie."

I placed my hands gently on the sides of his indescribably handsome face and slowly pulled him back up to my face. I kissed him again before I softly replied, "Why are you being so kind to me my Lord?"

Voldemort kissed me, "I am your husband before I am your Lord."

My body stiffened as I asked a question I know I should have never even thought, "I enjoy being your wife, but I am very afraid that this isn't real. Please, Lord Voldemort, please tell me the reasons behind your change of heart."

"Why?" He somewhat bitterly snapped as he kissed my collarbone.

I gulped and hoarsely whispered, "I've never heard of such kindness from you."

Voldemort bit down on my shoulder, drawing a small amount of blood and making me yelp from the pain. "Do not question me. I don't need to explain myself to you."

I gulped, "My Lord—"

Voldemort jerked up and slapped me across the face. I whimpered from the pain and looked back up at him with fear filled eyes. I stayed silent while he wordlessly healed my shoulder wound. He licked it, tasting my blood, and then pressed his lips against the wound. My wound tingled as magic from his body flowed into my, closing and healing his bite. "I am quite fond of you, Neema. I'll admit that I don't know why, or even what these thoughts and feelings are. I am rather suspicious of you; I think you may have somehow slipped a potion into one of my drinks, but nevertheless, I rather enjoy these thoughts, these feelings, and I want to spend more time with you."

I gulped and then looked up into his dark, seemingly truthful eyes. I whispered, "I want to spend more time with you, too, my husband."

He half smirked, half smiled.

"I miss you when you're gone, especially when you leave for weeks at a time."

His smile grew.

I fought back my fear and smiled rather nervously, "Rastus misses you, too, when you're gone."

Voldemort kissed his way down my body until he reached my stomach. He kissed my belly button and then looked up at me. "I have a feeling that this child will be much like you."

I giggled, "That could only be a good thing."

Voldemort snorted and rolled his eyes, "Oh _obviously_, my Dark Lady."

I grinned and faked a shiver, "The Dark Lady. Why do they call me that?"

Voldemort shrugged his shoulders, "I have no idea."

I laughed.

He grinned.

I smiled.

He gently pressed his body against mine and inched his way back up. He kissed my neck and then nibbled on my right earlobe. He roughly gripped my hips and then pulled my legs apart. He jerked my legs up, forcing me to wrap them around him. He roughly whispered in my ear, "Is the water warm enough for you?"

I gulped, "Yes."

"Good," he half growled, half whispered, and roughly kissed me.

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**A/N: I'm sorry that this is such a short chapter, but I wanted to update tonight, and not tomorrow, or possibly next weekend, since I've gone so long without an update.

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**A/N: TwilightLuva8: Thank you for your awesome review! It made me smile for a long time. :D!

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**A/N: scara1: I hope you liked it! C:**


	8. A Breath From the Breathing

**Chapter Eight: A Breath From the Breathing**

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The water was warm. His touches were warm. His words were warm. Then again, when has Hell ever been cold? My soul screamed to say no, to push him away, to somehow escape, but I didn't. I didn't listen. Why? My soul is split in half because of this creature, because of this monster. Why did I let him dictate my movements? Dictate my thoughts?

Who am I becoming that I can so easily ignore what is right? Every thrust that brought me closer to orgasm took me farther away from Draco. Farther away from our child. My child. What was I doing to my child? He is protected from Voldemort, but is he protected from me? I need to stop this. I must only "enjoy" Voldemort as much as it necessary. Only enough to make sure that I am safe, to make sure that my child is safe.

I turned over to see his sleeping, oddly peaceful face. After our adventure, we quickly dressed and apparated back to the palace; only Voldemort can apparate and disapparate into or around the palace. I didn't want to walk around in the dark, so I cuddled into his chest and let him take me via apparation. We showered, we dressed in our pajamas, and he slept. I've been laying here, staring up at the dark ceiling for hours. Or minutes. I can't tell. Everything in this place is a lie. I've had my areas of the palace painted bright, cheery colors. I've had my areas decorated and changed to remind me of home, to remind me of things that make me happy, and yet this room, our bedroom, is empty. It's empty of happiness, it's empty of misery. It is an abyss of nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing is here, allowing nothing to echo within the walls of my mind. Allowing nothing to fill my days. Allowing nothing to chew on my soul, on my conscience. Allowing me to become nothing. I know not the purpose of my existence, because my existence is the epitome of loss and pain and suffering and nothing. But maybe it's not my existence that is important, maybe I am to produce something important. I have done my best to be brave, to do what is right, and I have gone nowhere. A perfect match for the nothing that fills my life.

Perhaps my existence is to produce not so much a some_thing_, but a some_one_. This child is obviously important. He has defied my birth control, he has defied the laws of magic, he has survived Voldemort's attempts to kill him. He is meant to live. He is meant to do something. He is meant to fill the nothing. Maybe Voldemort is meant to create the nothing. Maybe I am meant to bring attention to the nothing. Maybe he is meant to fix the nothing.

But if there is nothing at all, then there is nothing to fix.

And if there is nothing to fix, there is nothing to do.

And if there is nothing to do, there is no life to live.

But does not my existence strike such out? If I am immortal, than there is life.

And if there is life, is there not something?

And if there is something, is there not something to fix, to fill?

And if there is something to fix, to fill, there is someone.

And if there is someone, then there is something.

And if there is something, then there is something to fix, something to find, something to fill.

And maybe that's the purpose of nothing. Maybe the purpose of nothing is to provide something to fix, something to find, something to fill.

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**A/N: Short, but important. Please review.**

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**A/N: scara1: Thanks. C:**

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**A/N: freeasair: A short update, but still, an update.**


	9. Mockingbird

**Chapter Nine: Mockingbird**

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I'm due any day now, and I'm both excited and fearful. I'm excited to finally be able to hold my wonderful baby boy in my arms, but I'm also afraid of what's going to happen to my body, and all the things that could go wrong. I've never even seen a birth before, but I know that your body has to readjust itself so that a baby can come out of you.

A baby.

Out of me.

A living, breathing, real, human being, will be coming out of me.

That's scary and exciting at the same time.

But more than anything, that's beautiful.

I've heard many women complain about being pregnant. "My back hurts all the time now," or "I can't sleep as well," or "I just feel so big," are often the complaints I hear. I don't understand why, though. The nine months that my baby has been just chillin' out inside of me are some of the best months of my life. Of course, I'd much rather have had spent this time with Draco, but I can honestly say that if I didn't have this child, my life would be much worse right now.

Voldemort left two days ago for an emergency meeting in Berlin, so I've been hanging around the mansion with my sister, Drea. We're sitting down on the shore of the lake that Voldemort had put semi-near the gardens. The almost unnoticeable, small waves rolled onto the sandy shore and folded around and over our feet. I wiggled my toes into the sand and sighed happily. I have my hands a little bit behind me to keep me comfortably propped up, and the sun warming my skin. Drea absent-mindedly tossed small, flat rocks into the lake while a gentle breeze picked up our loose curls and fluttered them to the side. I looked at her and smiled, "Are you excited?"

She smiled back at me and reached out her right hand. She lovingly, but carefully, rubbed my tummy. "I love you, and I love Draco, so yes, I am excited."

I smiled and looked down at my huge belly. "How can such a small creature need so much space?"

"Well," Drea chuckled, "You do need space for your organs."

I laughed and rolled my eyes, "No kidding."

Drea smiled and kept rubbing Rastus. We sat around, just staring at the lake and the gorgeous, blooming foliage around us, for a long time. My stomach started to… not exactly hurt, but feel weird. I slowly stood up and pressed my hands against my hips. Drea looked up at me and asked, "Are you okay?"

I gulped and tried to figure out the strange sensation in my body, "I think so."

Drea stood up and then gently tugged on my right hand. "Lets go back into the palace."

I gulped and felt awkward walking. A strange and sudden pain in my lower body snapped against my muscles. I shuddered and then looked back into Drea's eyes, "I think I'm experiencing my first contractions."

Drea gulped and rushed out with wide eyes, "Are you okay?"

I laughed and drew in a deep breath, "I'll be able to walk back to the palace. I read that these first contractions are just the body getting ready. I probably won't be giving birth for a good twelve hours."

"Oh sweet Lord!" Drea shouted and held her arm out for me to hold. I wrapped my arm around hers and slowly started to walk towards the palace. Drea looked at me and added, "_Twelve hours?_ That's ridiculous!"

I laughed at her, but stopped walking after ten minutes. I gripped her arm as another wave of pain prepared my body for the event to come. I was fine during the time in between the preparation contractions, but the contractions themselves felt terrible. The contractions made me feel like my body was literally opening, like I was going to be split in two. I wouldn't be surprised if it took us a good two hours to get to the palace. As soon as we arrived to the palace, I immediately sat down on the closest piece of furniture, and Drea ran to inform Orion of my contractions. Orion and Drea ran into the small, foyer like living room that leads to the gardens that I am in, and immediately rushed to my side. Orion helped me up while asking,

"How are you feeling, my Lady? _What_ are you feeling?"

"Discomfort," I grunted and stood up.

Drea grinned and Orion quietly chuckled before asking, "About how long have you been experiencing these contractions?"

"Two hours?" I looked at Drea and grabbed hold of Orion's left arm as another contraction occurred. I gulped, drew in a deep breath, and then said, "There's about twenty minutes in between them."

Orion nodded and then thought for a moment, "When there are about five minutes in between contractions, you'll be just about ready to give birth."

I gulped and replied, "Okay… okay."

Orion walked us out of the small room and around the first floor of the palace. I looked up at him with curious eyes while we walked out of the room. He noticed such and said, "It's good for women to walk while in this stage. I'm not quite sure why."

I laughed and sighed when I saw just how much Draco looks like this old man. At the beginning of my pregnancy, I was sad that Voldemort will be the one to watch the birth of Rastus, but I've rather recently realized that Draco would never miss this day. I rubbed my belly with my free hand, my left hand, and sighed happily. Bellatrix is gone today, so this birth is sure to run well. Orion and I walked around until I honestly just felt too nauseous to walk around. Orion led me to the closest room with a bed and helped me situate myself. Once I was comfortable, Orion left the room to contact Voldemort and send Drea in to keep my company. While we were still alone, I blushed and looked into her eyes, "May I ask you an odd favor?"

"Of course."

"Will you take my pants off for me?"

Drea laughed and then walked over to the bottom edge of my bed. I unbuttoned and unzipped my pants and quickly lifted my hips. I pushed my pants down to my knees, and Drea quickly pulled them the rest of the way off. Orion rushed into the room just as the spaces of time between my contractions began to shorten. Orion sent a Death Eater to retrieve the best medi-wizard for births and then told me that Voldemort will be here soon. I gulped and squeezed Drea's right hand while a thin layer of sweat appeared on my body. The Death Eater and the medi-wizard arrived within ten minutes of the Death Eater's departure; Voldemort arrived shortly after they did. Voldemort barked orders at them; he told the Death Eater to, "Get the hell out of here unless you want to be beheaded," and then snapped at the medi-wizard to start setting up in order to be of any worth in this situation.

Drea talked to me in a calm voice about things I enjoyed so Voldemort and his orders wouldn't make me any more nervous than I already am. Orion assisted the medi-wizard while Voldemort stood to my right and watched as I panted and grunted from the strange, almost unbearable pain coming from my lower body. The whole thing is a blur; all I really remember is screaming at Voldemort, almost breaking Drea's hand, and pushing so hard I thought I'd be shooting my heart out of my vagina. Thank God Voldemort's 'tightness' spell didn't create any problems with the birthing process. My contractions were more severe because of it, but I was able to give birth just as naturally as any other woman.

Voldemort ordered the medi-wizard to collect his equipment and go; Orion cleaned off my crying son while Drea magically cleaned me. I sighed, took a minute nap, and then snapped back into consciousness. I slowly sat up in the bed, pulled the covers up to my waist, and stretched my arms out. My eyes immediately found my newborn son; I gulped and let my tears of happiness flow freely down my cheeks. I squeaked out, "Rastus."

Orion turned and smiled at me. He walked over to me and handed Rastus to me after wrapping him up in a warm, soft, and safe blanket. I held Rastus to my chest and smiled down at my now smiling baby. His big, almond shaped, blue eyes shinned up as his small, pink lips smiled widely. I held Rastus securely to my chest while using my right hand to gently run my fingers through his curly, dirty blonde, thick hair. Tears of pure joy slowly leaked out of my eyes while I ran my right index finger gently from his left temple and down his soft, tiny cheek. His light olive skin complimented my darker olive skin, making my tears leak out faster. His tiny hand barely took up a sixth of my palm, and his toothless mouth made me quiver with a newfound love. Voldemort stood awkwardly to the side of my bed; I giggled and slowly scooted over for him while Drea left to go get our parents. They'll probably be extremely upset that they missed the moment, but unless they want to invest in a time turner, I don't really care. Which sounds heartless, but I'm too preoccupied with this gorgeous little boy.

Voldemort gulped and quietly mumbled while sitting down next to me, "Humans look… odd without teeth."

I rolled my eyes, "It's a baby."

Voldemort rolled his eyes, too, "I know it's a baby."

"Babies don't have teeth."

Voldemort sighed with annoyance and shooed Orion out, ordering to only let my family members into this room. Voldemort gulped once we were alone and slowly reached out his right hand to touch the Rastus' cheek. Rastus immediately became apprehensive, but an odd, random ray of sun filled the room just as Voldemort was an inch away from Rastus' face. I breathed in a sweet scent that wasn't in the room before and smiled when I realized that Draco is comforting our baby boy. The tiniest bit of hair moved on Rastus' head as, I'm sure, Draco ruffled his hair. Voldemort quickly ran his finger against Rastus' cheek, making Rastus uncomfortable, but Draco's touch soothed him too much for him to start crying. So I did. I cried with happiness and hugged Rastus to my body. I ran my hand near where I thought Draco's hand was and felt a bit of a shock as my body, his 'body,' and Rastus' body all touched at the same time.

Voldemort smiled awkwardly at me while my parents rushed into the room. My father smiled at Rastus while my mother cheerfully ran over to me. I handed him to my mother who sweetly caressed the baby and started to cry. Voldemort rolled his eyes, but I ignored him and watched as my father hugged my mother and child. I was soon reunited with my son, but I decided to hand him to Voldemort. Rastus immediately started to cry and wail loudly when Voldemort's hands touched him. I gulped and thought about snatching him away, but Draco immediately started to stroke our son so he could calm down. Draco's touch allowed Voldemort to hold my son; Voldemort was angry when my child cried, but I could see a new feeling form in him and across his face as he continued to hold my son.

Happiness.

Rastus didn't like his touch much, but I swear that I actually Draco play with his hair and squeeze his little hands while Voldemort held Rastus. Voldemort smiled down awkwardly at my beautiful, pure son, but soon handed him back to me. My father walked out of the room to talk with Orion while I breastfed Rastus. Voldemort cringed, so I glared at him and whispered out, "You can leave if you're going to be a dick."

Voldemort glared back at me, but then said, "I'm cringing at the thought of some woman—"

I rolled my eyes and sighed, "I don't care. This is a beautiful thing. Appreciate this baby. He's beautiful, and I'm feeding him."

Voldemort sighed and rested against the headboard, but laughed when my mother randomly readjusted my breast to better-feed Rastus.

Drea went back home and packed some of her stuff and our mom's stuff so they can stay here in the palace in order to help me raise my newborn son.

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**A/N: Again, I'm sorry about this chapter being so short, but it's past midnight, I'm tired, and I don't want to make you wonderful readers wait any longer for an update.**

**Also, this picture is beautiful: photobucket .com/image/photography/iloverichdorks/kelley_ryden_photography_?o=11**

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**A/N: I wrote a reply to Nyctic, but apparently it was just sent to Nyctic, not posted for all of you to see my response. If anyone else is curious, please just say so, and I'll answer the question again, only I'll place it at the end of the next chapter.**


	10. You Belong With Me

**Chapter Ten: You Belong With Me

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Voldemort did not have some sort of celebration or gathering set up for Rastus' birth, but I'm fine with that. If anything, I prefer not having a ballroom full of people poke and sneer at my truly beautiful child. Within a few hours time, I was able to walk around with Rastus in my arms. My mother and sister have their own rooms on the floor above mine. Across the hall from my room is the room that Voldemort has labeled off as Rastus'. I wanted Rastus to be in the same room with me, but Voldemort said, "I'm allowing you to keep the damn thing, don't push my limits."

My mom and sister quickly and magically put away their belongings in their temporary rooms while I walked up to Rastus' room. I had two walls painted a calming, light green, and the other two painted a peaceful, pale yellow. The ceiling is sky blue with expertly painted soft clouds that slowly move about, as if it were a real sky. The wall opposite the door, one of the yellow walls, has a small, green hill painted on it with a large, healthy tree painted on it as well. A small family of pretty, exotic looking birds settled in a nest on one of the branches. I sat down in the golden colored armchair next to Rastus' crib and gently ran my right hand through his surprisingly thick, dirty blonde hair. A few tears of happiness leaked out of my eyes when Rastus yawned and looked up at me with his big, blue eyes. I blinked out of shock and looked at his left eye and then his right eye. His left eye is blue, but his right eye has become slightly green. I laughed and secretly hoped that his right eye would become green while the other one would remain a variation of Draco's blue eyes.

I magically opened the curtains to Rastus' large window and sighed when an immense amount of light poured into the room. I felt the lightest of touches on my arms. The soft touch traveled down my arms, onto my hands, and gently caressed Rastus. I gulped back an unnecessary sob and realized that Draco is touching our baby boy. Apparently Rastus could see him; Rastus smiled up, but not up at me. He was looking slightly to the right; he smiled and made a sound similar to a laugh. I brought Rastus up closer to me and kissed his tiny forehead, but our private, odd, family moment was interrupted when two people opened the door to the room and walked in squealing. Well, Lucius was quiet, but Narcissa ran over to me with a happy squeak. I smiled at her and said, "I'm sorry I didn't contact you two when I was in labor—"

"Oh, it's no problem!" She said, took of one of her silver bracelets, and then transfigured it into a chair. She sat down next to me and stared at my baby for a good minute before looking up into my happy eyes, "May I hold him?"

"Of course," I smiled and carefully handed Rastus to her. She tightly, but not tight enough to hurt him, held Rastus to her chest. She smiled widely while a few tears leaked out of her eyes. She gently ran two fingers up and down the side of his face before playing with his hair. She looked over at me while Lucius walked over to us. Narcissa sighed happily before saying, "This boy is the perfect mixture of you and my son."

I smiled and hugged myself.

Lucius smiled down at Rastus and quietly added, "He looks quite a bit like Draco."

I looked over and up at Lucius before very quietly whispering, "I miss him, too, and I wish he was physically here, but at least now we have a piece of him to hold."

Lucius gulped and fought back his tears while Narcissa quietly cried. Narcissa told Lucius to find a chair and to sit with us; he did so and stared at Rastus. Narcissa carefully passed Rastus over to Lucius, who gladly accepted him. Lucius sucked his lips into his mouth and stared down at my smiling baby. Lucius tickled him with his right index finger and laughed as Rastus was confused about the new physical feeling. Lucius stopped because he expected Rastus to start crying, but Rastus laughed instead, so Lucius started up again. Lucius sighed with happiness and then gave me back my baby. I held Rastus tightly to my chest and gently swayed him left and right. Rastus yawned and smiled up at me before using my left breast as a pillow. Drea and my mother quietly walked in and smiled at the tense, but still loving, family moment. I felt Draco's hands on mine for a few seconds before he started to play with Rastus' hair again. Rastus giggled and stared at Draco; I wish I could see him, too.

Voldemort walked in, and even though he didn't say anything, the moment was ruined. He slid his hands into the front pockets of his slacks and casually looked around the room. Voldemort walked over to me and looked curiously down at Rastus, and Rastus looked nervously up at Voldemort. Neither child nor man wanted the other to be around. Voldemort doesn't want Rastus because Rastus is not his child, and Rastus doesn't want Voldemort around because Voldemort is an evil, terrible, monster man who is responsible for the death of his father. Lucius gently squeezed the shoulders of his wife while Voldemort put one hand on my left shoulder, and used his right hand to hazard a stroke against Rastus' cheek. Rastus' face scrunched up, but he didn't try to move, and he didn't cry. Voldemort could tell that his physical presence was unwanted, so he stopped touching Rastus. I held Rastus closer to me, and Voldemort just looked down at us, unsure of how to act. The Malfoy's excused themselves, Drea sat down on the bed I had set up in here so I can be close to Rastus, and my mother started to explain to me the very first stages and steps of motherhood and child care.

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Rastus is a fantastic baby. He rarely cries; he laughs when he wakes up, and he giggles for everything but hunger and physical pain. He sleeps most of the night, too. Some of my cousins with newborns have had to wake up four or five times a night for their babies, but I seldom have to wake up two times a night. However, Rastus is still a baby, and Voldemort doesn't much like babies.

Voldemort sighed loudly and looked at my slowly waking baby. Rastus yawned and smiled up at me while I gently cradled him in my arms. I looked at Voldemort and sighed, too. "This is my first child. I'm still working out this whole care taker slash mother thing."

Voldemort scoffed at me, but with an amused smile. "Slash?"

"Slash."

He grinned and walked over to me. Rastus makes his disdain of Voldemort clear. He no longer cries when Voldemort touches him, but he pees on him whenever Voldemort holds him. I held Rastus securely to my chest while Voldemort loosely hugged me. Voldemort kissed me on the forehead before saying, "It has only been two months, but you've lost a lot of weight. Thank God."

I glared at him and took a step back. "First of all," Rastus turned his head to the left and glared, too. "I was fit even when pregnant. Most of my stomach was Rastus."

Voldemort looked at me with annoyance.

"And if you dislike me so much, why don't you let me go live with my parents?"

Voldemort rolled his eyes, "That's nonsense."

"What is?"

"You living with your parents when you're married to me."

"You don't seem to like me much anymore."

"What I dislike is the lack of sex."

I rolled my eyes and sighed loudly, but Voldemort started to talk again before I could respond.

"Tonight, you will be sleeping in our bed, not the one in Rastus' room."

I bit the inside of my lip, "I will without complaint, as long as I can have a baby monitor."

Voldemort raised his right brow, "For what?"

All emotion and expression left my face and voice, "To monitor the baby."

Voldemort rolled his eyes, "Obviously. Why doesn't someone else watch over—"

I glared at Voldemort and ran a hand through Rastus' thick hair. "Because he's _my_ baby. He wants me, not someone else. I'll only leave the room if he starts crying or something, okay?"

Voldemort looked angry, but he wasn't in the mood for a fight. "I'll arrange for you to get a baby monitor set up this afternoon."

"Then I will be sleeping in our bed this evening."

Voldemort drew in a deep breath and smiled awkwardly. I kissed Rastus on the forehead and cautiously walked passed Voldemort. The smirk he bore and the way his face contorted as Rastus and I walked passed him was the face of the Devil when collecting a soul. Rastus immediately started to cry at such an expression; without thought or hesitation, I hugged Rastus closer to me than ever before. Voldemort quietly cackled while I rushed up the stairs and into Rastus' room. I called for Orion, and quietly, but nervously, waited in a rocking chair, holding my baby boy to my chest and telling him how much I love him. When Orion arrived, I stood up and carefully handed him Rastus. Orion smiled down at the face he shares features with while carefully holding Rastus. I smiled at Orion and said,

"I need to start pleasing Voldemort again."

Orion cringed a bit.

I drew in a deep breath, swallowed the excess spit in my mouth, and then continued, "Mentally and physically. Rastus does not bring out any feeling of joy in him."

Orion smirked the same Draco would smirk when he was doing his best to not laugh at me, "That's surprising."

I laughed and loosely hugged myself. I sighed with happiness while looking at my baby boy with his loving great, great grandfather. "I know; we're all shocked."

Orion chuckled and kissed Rastus' forehead. Rastus giggled and grabbed at Orion's green shirt. Rastus did his best to snuggle up to his great, great grandfather while I took a step closer to them and ran my right hand through Rastus' thick hair. I smiled and whispered, "Your papou loves you."

"Pa-what?"

I laughed and looked up into Orion's grey, but happy eyes, "_Paa-poo._ It's Greek for grandfather."

"But I'm his great, great grandfather."

I shrugged, "We don't mix numbers into our titles."

Orion laughed.

"At least, I don't think we do." I bit down on my bottom lip and thought for a moment. I shrugged and then looked back up at him, "I was raised with that rule, anyway."

Orion smiled and kissed Rastus' forehead again, "Yes, your papou loves you."

I smiled and then sighed. "I have to go be with _Him_."

Orion nodded knowingly.

"Will you please take care of my child while I'm with Voldemort?"

Orion smiled, "Of course."

"Thank you." I looked around the room quickly, "In the far left corner," I pointed to the corner, "is a small fridge. I have several bottles of my milk in there for him."

Orion nodded.

"His diapers are in the cupboard under the sink in the bathroom that is a part of this room. His clothes are obviously in the dressers and closet."

Orion nodded again, "Don't worry, Neema. I've raised many children."

I smiled and quietly chuckled to myself, "I know, Orion. But he's the only piece of Draco I have left. I refuse to lose him."

Orion nodded at my statement with pain and knowing.

I gave him a hug, kissed my baby boy goodbye, and walked out of the room.

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**A/N: Sorry about this update being so short, but it's still an update. I figure a short update is better than no update. :)

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**A/N: scara1: About chapter eight.**


	11. Firework

**Chapter Eleven: Firework

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I walked down to the ground floor and to his study. I drew in a deep breath, gulped, and then knocked on the door. The second I took my fist away from the door was the second that it magically swung open. I grabbed my left elbow with my right hand and looked at him with timid eyes. Voldemort relaxed further into his elaborate armchair and smirked at me. He raised his right brow after winking at me. "Long time no see."

Air rushed out of my nose while the corners of my lips twitched to express my slight amusement.

"Come in and close the door behind you."

I nodded and did so.

Voldemort's smirk widened, "Walk to me."

I bit the inside of my lip and refrained from glaring at him. I stopped walking a foot in front of him and thought, "The bastard wants to play a power game? Fine. We can play a power game."

Voldemort raked my body with his greedy eyes before lazily picking up his glass of wine off of hid wood, painted black, desk. He slowly sipped at his red wine before sighing and putting it back down on his desk. "Who is Rastus with?"

"Orion."

Voldemort nodded, "I sent Lucius out for the baby monitor."

"Thank you."

Voldemort quietly chuckled, but only once, "You're welcome." He then stood up and loosely wrapped his arms around my waist. He kissed my forehead, smiled at my slight shudder, and whispered into my hair, near my right ear, "When will you have my son?"

I gulped and nuzzled into him, "I want to get the hang of motherhood, first."

Voldemort chuckled and used his right hand to play with my curly hair. "You already have the hang of motherhood."

"I am yet to feel like a competent mother," I whispered and stared downwards, "I would like Rastus to be at least a natural eighteen months old before I have another child."

Voldemort laughed, "Natural? Nice keyword."

I smiled, "Thank you."

"You want him to be eighteen months before you give birth to another child?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No."

"Then yes."

Voldemort laughed again and then ran his right hand against my jaw line, his hand exploring my face exactly like his first exploration. I drew in a deep breath and closed my eyes, doing my best not to start silently sobbing. "Do you not like it when I touch your face?"

I mustered up some audibility in my voice, "Yes and no."

"Yes and no?"

"I don't want to be touched right now, I just want to be held."

Voldemort sighed and hugged me into him. I relaxed into his chest and started to cry. He tensed and ran his right hand up and down my back in an attempt to comfort me and stop me from crying, so I cried harder. "Wha—what's wrong?"

I gulped and looked up at him with my watery eyes, "I'm just scared."

Voldemort laughed at me, "Of what? You are mine. Nothing would dare touch you."

I bit my bottom lip while my tears started to stream at a faster rate, "I'm afraid that I'm going to fail as a mother. I want to see my friends before they graduate and move on with their lives. You made Hogwarts an eight year long school, so—"

"You haven't been to Hogwarts in a long time."

"I've been in this palace for the last nine months."

Voldemort quietly sighed and stared out the window of his study. The breeze rustled the young leaves of the trees and made ripples in the rather far off lake. Voldemort then looked back down at me, "Grab Rastus and then come back down here."

"May I change him?"

Voldemort rolled his eyes, "Yes."

I nodded and then walked out of his study. I walked to the stairs, but I ran up them and to Rastus' room. I quietly opened the door and smiled when I saw Orion carefully playing with Rastus, telling him how much he loves him and what a wonderful baby boy he is; I walked up quietly and smiled down at my baby boy. Orion looked at me with a big smile, "This baby is truly wonderful."

"As was his father."

"As **is** his father."

I gave Orion a curious look.

"Just because Draco has passed on doesn't mean that he isn't still wonderful."

I smiled and hugged myself. "Never have your words held more truth."

Orion smiled and hugged me to him. I hugged him back and thanked him for all he has done for me, and what he will probably have to do. He laughed and then handed me Rastus. Rastus laughed and grabbed at my shirt while looking up at me. I kissed his smooth forehead and then asked Orion, "Would you like to stay while I change him?"

Orion made himself comfortable in the nearby rocking chair.

I undressed Rastus, took off his diaper, cleaned him up, put on a new diaper, and decided to give him a completely different outfit. Orion made sure Rastus didn't roll off of his changing table while I searched through his clothes. I grabbed a clean pair of socks, brown pants, a Gryffindor Red shirt, a brown jacket, and little red shoes. I carefully dressed Rastus, cradled him in my arms, and kissed Orion on the cheek. "You are most definitely Rastus' favorite great, great, grandfather."

Orion laughed, "I'm his _only_ great, great, grandfather."

"That's besides the point."

Orion laughed again while I smiled. We walked to the ground floor together, but he did not go to Voldemort's study with me. I held Rastus tightly to me, but not so tightly that he was uncomfortable or in pain, and knocked on Voldemort's study door. Voldemort opened the door and told me to come in. He shut the door behind me and then walked up to me from behind. He wrapped his arms around my waist and slowly moved me so that I'd face him. He held me tightly to him and then apparated us into Snape's office, the Headmaster's office. Snape snapped his head up towards us while Voldemort took a step back. I stood on my two feet and wordily looked down at Rastus. He was not harmed, nor was he scared; Rastus had the most confused look of all time on his face. I laughed and kissed his forehead. Rastus immediately snapped out of his funk and laughed and grabbed at my ears. I laughed and kissed his forehead again while Snape stood up, bowed at the waist for Voldemort, and then for me.

"My Lady, may I see your child?"

I gulped and looked at Snape while Voldemort smirked. "Yes."

A small smile made its way onto Snape's face while he walked over to me. He looked down at Rastus and smiled, but before he could say anything, Voldemort said, "Come now, Neema. You have people to visit."

I smiled with pure excitement and said, "Yes, my Lord." I nodded to Snape and then quickly walked over to Voldemort. He snaked his left arm around me and walked us out of Snape's office. We walked to the Great Hall in complete silence, but we didn't go inside the Great Hall. Voldemort looked at me and said, "I imagine that you want to visit the Gryffindor House."

"I do."

Voldemort nodded and then walked me up to the Gryffindor Tower. I sighed at the Fat Lady because neither of us bothered to ask Snape for the password, but that did not prove to be an obstacle. "Let us in or I'll have you burned."

The Fat Lady gulped and nodded with wide, fearful eyes before she swung open. The common room was loud, but was immediately silent when we walked in. People stared at us with unbelievably fearful eyes while I made my way to a loveseat. Gina and Katrina were quietly reading with their backs pressed against the armrests and had their legs intertwined and sharing the same space of the couch. I cleared my throat and smiled at them while they looked up at me. They dropped their jaws and their books while looking at Rastus. Rastus smiled and laughed when he saw them, making them melt with happiness. They stood up and quickly grabbed me into their group hug.

"When was this beautiful baby born?" Gina asked after we parted.

I smiled, "May tenth."

Katrina smiled and ran a hand through his thick hair, "Five days after your birthday."

"Yeah," I smiled down at my baby boy. He grabbed onto my right index finger with his right hand while Katrina and Gina touched his hair and played with his left hand. Everyone else in the room did their best to avoid staring at a quiet and still Voldemort, but Katrina and Gina weren't the slightest bit phased by his presence. Rastus smiled widely, making them laugh. Gina looked at me and said,

"People look weird without teeth."

Katrina laughed and agreed.

I gently shrugged, "It'll become a blessing when you breast feed."

They laughed extremely hard; when they calmed down, Gina asked me, "May I hold your baby?"

"Yes," I smiled and transferred Rastus into her arms. She held him carefully and lovingly.

"What's his name?"

"Rastus."

Katrina whispered, "He is loved."

I smiled at her, "I'm glad you know your name meanings."

She laughed and then stole him away from Gina. She kissed his forehead and held him tightly before whispering, "You look just like your parents."

I sighed with happiness. Then I looked up at Voldemort. He walked around the common room; he's only been in the Slytherin common room, so all the light and artwork must have been a sight that he is not accustomed to. He caught me staring at him, awkwardly smiled, and walked over to me. Voldemort watched as Gina, Katrina, and I caught up and talked. The only time Rastus didn't giggle or smile was when he shot Voldemort looks that were nothing less of, "Get the fuck outta here."

**

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**

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Voldemort whispered while he watched me eat.

I replied, "Yes," and looked at Rastus. He was perfectly content with sitting in the highchair the restaurant provided. I looked back at Voldemort and added, "Thank you for today. I appreciate it beyond words."

Voldemort smiled at me and finished up his meal. He stood up and walked around to my side of the table, bringing his chair with him. He magically rid of the armrests between us and wrapped his right arm around me. He kissed the top of my head before saying, "My plan is working perfectly."

"Which one?" I asked while eating another bite of my steak.

Voldemort grinned out of amusement, "My world domination plan."

"Ahhh," I nodded and set my fork and knife down. I rested against his side and looked up at him, "Please elaborate."

Voldemort squeezed me to him, "I took your advice about what to do with mudbloods; they're out of my hair and completely under control, and yet they live under an illusion and are not upset."

I bit the inside of my bottom lip, "That's good."

"Yes it is." Voldemort drew in a deep breath of the cool evening air, "The ministry is filled with my followers, society is leveling out to accommodate my orders, pure bloods are content, and half-bloods are content, too. Everyone listens to me, Neema."

I smiled and rested my head against your shoulder, "What are you going to do now? Just maintain?"

"No," Voldemort sighed, but not out of annoyance, "I will move us forward. The wizarding race will not only dominate the world, but they'll make a mark upon the Earth that cannot be eroded. We will create the ultimate way of life, Neema."

I was about to respond, but did not because Rastus cried out. I immediately looked over at my baby; he looked sad, like he wanted to be a part of the odd family moment. I smiled warmly at my son and took him out of the highchair. I sat him down on my lap; he laughed to show his approval and gently grabbed at my red, knit dress. Voldemort looked down at my son and laughed, so I looked up at him, "What's so funny?"

Voldemort grinned at me, "Your son. He is just a baby, and yet is so aware of the world around him."

I smiled, "Well, he is my son."

Voldemort laughed and rolled his eyes. "If he continues to behave, I think he could grow on me."

I looked at Voldemort with shock and confusion.

Voldemort sighed and rolled his eyes again, "You've grown on me. I like you quite a bit, Neema. This boy if from you, he is half of you, he has the potential to grow on me, too."

I nodded, "That's good to hear."

Voldemort nodded and kissed my cheek. His tired eyes stared into my confused ones. "It's good to say."

The Dark Lord Voldemort, the most evil being to ever inhabit the Earth, not only experiences slight feelings of love for me, but he likes my baby, the product of my love with another man? IMPOSSIBLE. This is nonsense. This is a lie. He must be playing with me or he must be plotting something.

Voldemort interrupted my thought process by stealing a soft kiss from me. He parted from me, took a swift sip of his red wine, and then kissed me again. Our soft lips felt strangely wonderful when together. His expert tongue danced with mine while his strong right hand hugged me to him. I kept my arms securely on Rastus so that he would not fall off of me, but the rest of my body and mind was fixated on Voldemort's kiss. I don't know how long we kissed, but when Voldemort pulled away I wanted him to immediately come back. He kissed my cheek, jaw line, chin, and my ear before whispering, "Have my son. Nine plus three is twelve. Rastus will be one year old when my boy will be one day old."

That bastard wanted to woo me in order to trick me into saying yes to immediate impregnation. What a douche! What a, a, a fallacious man! What an unbelievably physically gorgeous and persuasive monster I am married to.

I gulped and looked into his lust clouded eyes, "I want to have you son, but not so soon."

"Well," Voldemort whispered and kissed near my ear, "we'll compromise. You'll have my son, like you want, and we'll create him tonight, like I want."

I gulped and looked at him, pleading him to postpone such with my slightly watery eyes. He just rolled his eyes and called the waiter over. Voldemort paid the exact amount and then left the waiter a tip. We apparated home; I washed, changed, and dressed Rastus in his pj's. I made sure the baby monitor worked, and I asked Orion to spend a night in there so that Rastus would be comfortable, and so that I'd be worry free. He readily agreed and made sure Rastus was comfortable, which is fantastic since Voldemort turned off the baby monitor. "I don't want even the slightest sound of his giggle to distract you; tonight you are mine."

Voldemort relaxed on a chair on our large bedroom balcony while I showered and slid into a negligee I purchased a long time ago, but one he has never seen before. I didn't bother with make-up since I want to fall asleep immediately afterward, but I did put my hair up in the messy, curly bun he likes. I quietly tiptoed onto the balcony and kissed the top of his head. Voldemort drew in a deep breath from my touch and then smirked. He slowly stood up and turned around to face me. He gasped when he saw me and smirked wider while immediately taking a step closer to me. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead, the tip of my nose, both of my cheeks, my chin, and nibbled on my ears. Voldemort pulled away and ran his eyes up and down my body.

He grinned, "I like this new… outfit."

I drew in a deep breath, "As well you should."

Voldemort raised his right brow.

I looked at him with a playful grin, "I look mighty fine in this."

Voldemort laughed, "Yes you do."

I bit down on my bottom lip and gently grabbed his hands off of my sides. I placed his hands on my breasts and said, "I mean, look at my boobs in this. They look fantastic."

Voldemort sucked in a deep breath and enjoyed the placement of his hands.

I ran his hands against my stomach, allowing him to finger the strips of fabric tightly cleaning and twisting around my body. He licked his lips while taking in the sight of my barely covered body. My silver, smooth, and shinny negligee pleased his eyes. He kissed his way down my body and smirked up at me while caressing and kissing my thighs. I bit down on my bottom lip again and watched as he slowly parted my legs and gently moved the thin fabric of my silver negligee to the side. All the air in my lungs rushed out of me when he licked me. He wiggled his brows up at me, making me laugh, but I immediately gasped as he gently parted my lips and lightly licked my folds, exploring me as if for the first and last time. He teased my sensitive clit before licking his lips and sucking it into his mouth, making rolling motions with his lips, sending me closer to the edge. I grabbed at his hair and the wall behind me out of pleasure and need of support. He slid two fingers into my warm and waiting entrance while taking his time licking his way down there, but I orgasmed before he got the chance, so he licked his fingers and probed at my entrance a few times before slowly standing back up. He watched with pride as I slowly regained my composure and could stand without his support. I drew in a deep breath before rasping out, "That was wonderful."

He smirked and licked his lips.

I sighed, winked, and slowly slid down onto my knees. He watched with a devilish smirk as I unbuckled his belt, and unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. I slowly slid his pants down; he stepped out of them and kicked them to the side; the same happened with his silk, silver boxer-briefs. I licked my lips, wiggled my brows up at him, and licked the tip of his dick before going at a teasingly slow pace for the rest of his blowjob. I barely swallowed before he tossed me onto his shoulder and then threw me onto our bed. He put his arms on either side of me and kissed and nipped at my neck, earning several soft moans from me. Voldemort smirked and continued kissing every exposed inch of my body. He slowly rolled me onto my back and started kissing from my neck. When he started to kiss my thighs, I gulped and looked down, "How do you know we'll conceive tonight?"

Voldemort smiled devilishly up at me while an odd glint flashed across his eyes, sending shivers up my spine. He kissed my lower stomach before saying, "You're extremely fertile right now."

"But… I'm on magical birth control."

He laughed at me, "You gave birth. I didn't put you under another long-term contraceptive spell. Tonight you will hold my son."

I bit down on my bottom lip, "How do you know?"

He nibbled on my lower belly before saying in the creepiest whisper I've ever heard, "I can smell it; your fertility is the most dominant smell in my nose."

I gulped and fought back quivering. He kissed his way back up my body while I stared at the odd breeze that played with the curtains on the balcony. I moved my left leg abruptly and for no real reason, accidentally hitting Voldemort's right side, causing him to glare at me in his second of surprise and weakness, allowing the odd breeze to rush over and wrap around him. Voldemort stiffened and shook for a few seconds, but then he gasped and looked down at me with grey, icy eyes. I gasped and hoped that he wasn't playing some sort of cruel game.

Voldemort smiled and kissed me sweetly on the lips. After he pulled away he said, "This body feels terrible."

I giggled, "I'm sure any body would feel terrible after existing as a soul."

He smiled and pressed his forehead against mine, "I've missed you, I've missed being able to touch you."

I smiled and kissed him, "I love you, Draco."

He smiled, "I love you too, Neema."

I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him like I'll never be able to again, because really, I may never be able to again. He ran his hands up and down my body, slyly removing my little bit of clothing before taking off the shirt on the body of which he is borrowing. He kissed me slowly and with love as he eased into me, earning a soft intake of breath from me. Draco wrapped his right arm around me and used his left for support while I wrapped my legs around his waist and ran my hands up and down his back, neck, and through his hair. Draco groaned in my ear while I moaned from his expert thrusts. We collapsed onto the bed after I orgasmed and he filled me. I gently moved the hair in front of his face back to where they belonged while asking, "Why tonight and not any other nights?"

Draco nuzzled his face into my neck, kissed it, and then stared at me. "I could not, I would not let any baby of yours be made in fear and lust and when he was feeling especially devilish. No, no, no, no, no." He said and gave me five quick kisses, "I don't care if it's his seed, babies should be made in love, and he if wasn't going to give you that, then… I mean…" Draco sighed, "What kind of baby would he give you if he wasn't giving it to you in love?"

I kissed Draco and wrapped my arms around him. I slowly rolled us over so that I'd be on top of him. We kissed slowly and for a long time. I ran my right hand down from his chest to his dick, helping his new erection. I pressed my hands against his chest while he held onto my hips, helping me ease onto him, and helping me keep my balance while I rode him. I moaned, tensed, and then collapsed on top of him once my orgasm washed over my body. I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck and asked him, "Do you want to see our son?"

"No," Draco whispered and wrapped his arms around me, "He won't appreciate me in this body."

I nodded.

Draco rubbed my back absent mindedly, "I visit him every night in his dreams. He knows me, he knows that I love him."

I couldn't help but to start to cry. I kissed Draco on the lips and told him, "You are the best man I've ever met, and the year spent with you was the best year of my life."

Draco kissed me back and played with my hair, "These years with our son will prove to be just as wonderful."

I kissed him again, "I love you."

Draco smiled, "I love you, too. Now go to sleep, I have to go."

I nodded and rolled off of him. We got comfortable under the covers; he held me closely to him while his soul left Voldemort's body, but I was too tired to protest. A long minute later, Voldemort yawned with slight confusion, but smirked down at me, and squeezed me to him.

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**A/N: Please review!

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**A/N: scara1: thank you. :) And if you cbf to check, I cbf to tell. :P muhahahahaha**


	12. We are Who We are

**Chapter Twelve: We are Who We are

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I'm four months pregnant, making it January again. I took Rastus with me to Hogwarts this morning; Voldemort had some business with Snape and took me so I could see my friends again. I told them that I'm obviously pregnant again, but not with a black baby. They laughed at me, but then I told them about my encounter with Draco, and all the times we've been in a dream state. We're all hoping that the child that I'm carrying now won't be tainted by Voldemort's evil soul since Draco went to the trouble of possessing him and all. I dressed Rastus in the appropriate sized long johns, then his pants and long sleeved shirt, a sweater, and then a coat for when we go outside. I carefully slipped on a beanie the same shade of brown as his coat and shoes, kissed his forehead, and tickled him to hear his sweet laugh. Gina, Katrina, and I decided to stroll around the grounds to show Rastus the beauty of Hogwarts in the winter, and of course, to talk about Voldemort.

Gina focused her visual attention on packing a snowball while asking me, "Do you really want a black baby?"

I shifted Rastus in my arms; he's heavy now. "Yes."

"Why?"

I shrugged gently and smiled down at my smiling son. "I don't know."

Katrina smirked, "What do you mean, Gina? We both know that Neema has yearned to be black."

"Shut up." I laughed and smiled at her.

Katrina laughed while Gina smirked and continued, "That kid would be the odd one out."

"So what?"

"_So what?_ One black child amongst several whities?"

I laughed, "Voldemort said that I'd have to adopt if we are to have a black son, and I don't really want to adopt. I already have my hands full with Rastus, and now I'm having another kid."

Katrina smirked and winked at Gina before looking at me, "Maybe you'll have one down the road."

"Hah hah. Mock me now, I don't care."

Katrina chuckled and Gina grinned, "We would never mock the wife of the Dark Lord."

"Oh no?" I grinned.

"_Nooooo_ sir ree." Gina's grin grew, "We don't want to die just yet, especially not because out of torture."

I laughed and let Katrina hold Rastus, who giggled as I carefully transferred him into her arms. He playfully grabbed at her coat and smiled up at her, the shine from his toothless gums making Katrina laugh. Katrina couldn't wipe the smile off of her face even if she was under the Imperious Curse. Rastus' light olive skin and happy blue eye and happy green eye gave her glee. His medium sized, pink lips parted to show his own happiness, and his pure, baby giggle made us all joyful. Katrina gently rocked him in her arms while we continued our walk.

Gina tossed her snowball up, caught it, and tossed it into the air again. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Boy. We went and got me checked two weeks ago."

"What are you going to name him?"

"I don't know. We're considering Octavius."

Katrina was too focused on Rastus to say anything, but Gina laughed. "Are you serious? Why that name?"

I shrugged and then stretched my arms, "He wanted something that," I mimicked his voice in a sarcastic way, "_commands power and is anything but common._"

Gina grinned again, "Well, I'll admit, I've never met anyone with that name."

I grinned, too. "We're probably going to go with that name." I started to laugh; Gina asked me what I was laughing at, but I couldn't respond for a good minute. "I'm, I'm," I sighed and wiped the tears from my laughter away, "He wants a boy who will grow up to be a 'strong, intelligent, powerful man.'"

We started to walk back to the castle while Gina raised her right brow with curiosity, "And what's so funny about that?"

I smirked, "I'm going to find it hilarious if Octavius grows up to be a sensitive artist with too much talent for Marv to bitch."

"Marv?"

I gulped, "That's uh… That's what I call him."

She stopped walking; Katrina took several more steps before she realized that we stopped walking, but she still didn't pay attention to us, just my happy son. "What do you mean?"

I slid my hands into the pockets of my red coat while looking into her half concerned, half curious eyes. "I don't like the name he has given himself. It's creepy. Marvolo is his middle name; it's far less creepy."

Gina didn't say anything, just continued staring at me.

I sighed and stared at my fogged breath. "I have to live with him. I want to be able to not wince at the memory his name brings. I want to pretend that things are slightly okay."

Gina whispered, "They're not okay." She took a step closer to me, "He is an evil man. In fact, he epitomizes evil."

"It's not like I don't already know that—"

"I didn't say you don't know that." Gina quietly barked, "All I'm saying is to not forget what you cannot forgive."

I glared at her and took a step closer to her. I practically growled out, "Don't even _think_ that I have forgotten the terrors in my past because of him. My whole body, the physical and the spiritual and the mental, the whole thing aches every second of every moment of my now immortal life. I want nothing more than to have Draco alive. I want nothing more than to steal a Time Turner and go back and stop everything, make everything right again. But I can't. I. Can. Not."

Gina was silent.

"All I can do is live now. I have to live now. I've contemplated suicide, but now I have a child. Draco and I created a beautiful boy, and now I am pregnant again. This is much bigger now, and I refuse to be so weak when there are others who now depend on me. I refuse to take my son's life so he won't have to be in this dark world, and I refuse to leave him in a world where I cannot protect him, especially when this world is so terrible."

Gina remained silent.

"I love Rastus, and I love my unborn son. I love them too much to leave this world just because _He_ makes me suffer. I can't change the past, but I can influence the future. If I want to make my current situation less painful, make it less terrible for me, who are you to judge? If I want to live with the least amount of pain, I have to make him happy with me. I have to keep him happy with me. I can't go out in the world now. The Order, at least, what remains of it, wouldn't trust me for a moment. Others would just kill me. And good Lord!" I sucked in an angry breath, "Or they'd kill my children. I'm safest with Him, which is terribly ironic."

Gina grinned.

I grinned and drew in a deep breath, "I don't want to get into a fight, Gina. You and Katrina are really all that I have left. My mother and father can't stand to be around me. It kills them to see me like this, and I don't want Drea around His evil. Gaston…" I shrugged, "I haven't seen him in a while and I'm not quite sure why."

Gina nodded.

I gulped and fought back my tears, "I love you."

Gina smiled and hugged me. I hugged her back as she said, "I miss fifth year."

I bit the inside of my lip and a few tears leak out, "Me too."

She squeezed me and then said, "Katrina and I will always be here for you. We love you."

I smiled, "I love you, too."

Gina stopped hugging me and took a step back, "I understand that you're not really in love with him. I understand that it's not just about you now since you have kids now. I understand that you have to please Him. I just miss being able to fight back."

I stood there silent for a minute, but then I grinned. I wrapped my left arm around her waist and she wrapped her right arm around my waist. We resumed walking back to the castle; Katrina kissed both of Rastus' cheeks and tickled him, filling the still afternoon air with his laughter. I smiled at my giggling baby while whispering to Gina, "We can still fight. We just have to be… cleverer than before. And far more secretive."

Gina smirked; she knew what I was implying, "And more organized."

I smirked, "You know what I miss most about our fifth year?"

"The not being rapped?"

I laughed and rolled my eyes, "_That,_" Gina laughed at my emphasis, "And the DA."

Gina stopped laughing and went back to smirking, "I miss the DA, too. We were a fun group."

"And a productive group."

Her smirk widened, "I just may have to resurrect the fun here at Hogwarts."

I turned my face to the left to look at her, "You just may have to."

"You just might have to teach your children about our fun."

"I will."

We grinned with a good kind of evil and made our way back to the snow-covered castle. Rastus giggled and did his best to grab at the slow falling snowflakes with his mitten-covered hands. Katrina placed Rastus on her shoulders, his little legs loosely wrapping around her neck. She held onto him to make sure he's safe and ran the rest of the way to the castle with Rastus staring up at the sky, catching snowflakes all the way to the castle.

Katrina went back inside the Gryffindor Girls' Dorms so she could finish up her Potions essay, but Gina walked with me back up to the Headmaster office. I held Rastus securely to my chest while we quietly walked up the spiral staircase. He did his best to cuddle into me for safety while I had Gina knock on the door so I could keep both my hands on my baby. Voldemort magically opened the door and waved us in before magically closing the door. Gina stepped closer to me and stiffened as one of the Death Eaters/Professors stared at her. Gina complained to me earlier today that one of the Professors was starting to hit on her, and she really didn't like it or him; this guy was probably the one she was talking about.

Voldemort half smirked, half smiled at me, "Do you need something?"

I drew in a deep, but quiet, breath. "I was hoping to have a quick moment with you, my Lord."

Voldemort tapped his armrest with his right index finger, "What is so important that it can't wait for ten more minutes?"

"Your wife."

Voldemort laughed and then stood up while he looked at his fearful, but amused, followers. Voldemort told the men at his meeting to wait out on the staircase until he called them back inside, unfortunately, that meant that Gina had to wait outside too, but she could mingle with Snape, so it wasn't too bad. When it was just Voldemort, Rastus, and I in the room, I sat Rastus down in the chair like portable cradle seat, made sure he was comfortable and secure, and walked over to Voldemort. He smirked at me while I sat down on the table in front of him. He placed his hands on both sides of me, stood in between my legs, and smirked down at me while I looked the three inches up at him. I pressed my hands against his chest and said, "My Lord, I have an important request."

"What is your request?" He asked me in a surprisingly soft voice as he cocked his head slightly to the right.

I swallowed the spit in my mouth before saying barely above a whisper, "The Death Eater with the strawberry blonde hair, what's his name?"

Voldemort glared at me and harshly asked, "Why?"

I quickly responded in order to avoid upsetting him any further, "He has taken an liking to my friend, Gina."

"The one who came in with you?"

"Yes."

He stopped glaring at me, in fact, his face softened again and he stared into my brown eyes. "His name is James McNairy."

I slid my hands up the rest of his chest and onto his shoulders. I squeezed them and scooted a few inches closer to him. I stared up into his eyes and then whispered, "Your eyes change colors."

"Is that so?" He whispered and rubbed the tip of his nose against the tip of my nose."

"Yes," I sighed softly, "back and forth from green and midnight blue."

Voldemort whispered, "That's it?"

I sighed and bent my head back as he started to kiss my neck. "Sometimes they flash red, only when you're extremely upset though."

Voldemort laughed against my flesh, looked up at me, and then started to kiss the other side of my neck. He kissed his way up to my lips and kissed me slowly. When he pulled away from my warm, full lips, he rested his head on my shoulder and asked, "Is Tina—?"

"Gina."

He sighed, "Is _Gina_ taken with McNairy?"

"No."

"Good," He kissed my neck and then stood back up, "I refuse to play match maker."

I laughed and then pressed my upper body against his upper body. I slid my hands down from his shoulders and under his black blazer. I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck and wrapped my arms around him; I enjoyed the feeling of his now muscular back through the fabric of his green silk, button up shirt. "Gina is repulsed by McNairy."

Voldemort was quiet for thirty seconds, "Why?"

"She thinks he's creepy and weird, and she detests the idea of a teacher-student affair."

Voldemort wrapped his arms around me and said, "I have no interest in the interests of your friend."

I rolled my eyes, "Thank you."

He smirked, "You're welcome."

I stayed silent.

He sighed, "I imagine that you have broken up my meeting to ask me to tell McNairy to leave your friend alone?"

I kissed his neck, "I would appreciate that, my Lord."

He was silent.

I looked up at him and into his currently green eyes. "Will you please order McNairy to be nothing short of just a professor with her? She does not want any romantic or sexual relationship with him. She barely wants him for a professor."

Voldemort laughed and then stole a kiss from me. "Yes, now go and spend the last few minutes of our visit with your friend. I'll tell McNairy after the meeting."

I stood up as he backed up and placed my hands on top of his shoulders. I stood on my tiptoes and stole a kiss from him and walked over to Rastus. Voldemort sat down with a wide smirk on his face. I cradled my now sleepy son in my arms, winked at Voldemort, and then walked out of the room. Gina and I spent the rest of our time down the stairs and in front of the large statue that hides the stairway. We sat down on one of the benches and talked for about fifteen minutes before a group of Death Eaters walked down the staircase. Snape delivered Rastus' seat and spoke with us while we waited for Voldemort to send McNairy out of Snape's office. McNairy had a look of poorly hidden terror on his face while he power walked by us, not daring to look at Gina or anything around her. Voldemort leaned against the wall next to the staircase with his left foot crossed in front of his right and his hands casually in the front pockets of his slacks. He nodded at Snape to signal that his office is now his again while I slipped my sleeping son comfortably into his seat. I hugged Gina goodbye before walking over to Voldemort and apparating home.

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Orion happily took the job as the evening baby sitter of Rastus so Voldemort and I could have dinner alone. We stayed in the palace for dinner, but we still dressed formally. He had us situated at a rather small, round table on a balcony that overlooks a garden that leads to the lake. The half moon shined brightly and reflected on the placid lake; Voldemort poured himself half a glass of red wine while I filled my glass with cool ice water. Our dinner is done; we're waiting for one of the kitchen elves to come and give us dessert. Voldemort leaned against the back of his chair and stared at me while I stared out at the moon. I held my glass of water in my right hand and used my left hand to absent-mindedly stroke my growing belly.

Voldemort sighed, but now with annoyance or sleepiness. "Octavius is what we'll name him?"

I drew in a deep breath of the crisp night air before looking back at him. His dark hair is neatly combed; his handsome features are highlighted by the moon's light; his deep scarlet, button up shirt and black tie are more than flattering. I put my glass of water down on the table before saying, "If that's what you want, Marv."

He smirked and then leaned forward towards me, "It's what I want to name him."

I smiled, "Then Octavius is his name."

Voldemort stood up and brought his chair over to me. He made the armrests between us disappear and magically morphed the chairs together to create a small bench. I scooted closer to him and rested my head against his left shoulder. He wrapped his left arm around me and stroked my belly, the holder of his unborn son. I stared out at the lake again while he whispered, "Very few countries are yet to align themselves with me."

I looked up at him and asked in a soft voice, "Which countries?"

"The United States."

"That's a shocker."

He smirked and kissed the top of my head, "Several northern countries."

"I don't care for cold countries."

Voldemort laughed, "I know you don't."

I smiled and sighed while completely relaxing against him while sliding my left hand over his left hand. I squeezed his large hand in my small one before saying, "It's very beautiful out tonight. Rather cold, but very beautiful."

Voldemort slid his left hand out of my grasp and up to my neck. He brushed my curly hair off of my right shoulder and smirked down at my scarlet red sweater dress and black tights. He cupped my chin in his right hand and slowly turned my head to the right and up to look at him. "You are very beautiful."

I smiled and whispered, "You are very handsome."

He smirked and stroked my left cheek with his thumb. "Your beauty is unrealistic. Several of my Death Eaters admired you when you walked in earlier today."

I frowned.

He kissed my forehead and then whispered, "No one would dare touch you. All know that you are mine, that you belong to me."

I bit the inside of my bottom lip and then said, "I don't like the majority of your Death Eaters."

"I know you don't." He said without emotion and let go of my face, allowing me to rest against his body again. "Do you remember Aiden Amery? He used to patrol in the palace."

"I don't know," I snuggled against him for warmth since a cold breeze rolled by, "What does he look like?"

"Brown hair, brown eyes. Tall man. He had—"

"Had?"

Voldemort smirked.

"Had."

I cringed, "Oh Lordy, what happened to the poor bloke?"

Voldemort's smirk widened, "He was contemplating how to sully you."

I cringed again.

Voldemort kissed the top of my head again and then whispered, "So of course I had to dispose of him."

"Dispose is such an insensitive word."

"I don't care."

I rolled my eyes, "Yet another shocker."

Voldemort chuckled, "Anyway, Neemie, he was contemplating sullying you. Of course I could not allow such."

I suddenly became very tired and yawned, "I'm grateful of your protection."

"Good." Voldemort yawned, too. He looked down at me, "Shall we skip dessert and just go to bed? Orion is sleeping in the bed in Rastus' room tonight—"

"Yes," I yawned, "I fully trust Orion, he's plenty competent and responsible. And he loves Rastus. Lets go to sleep."

Voldemort shot up and then picked me up. He randomly ended up giving me a piggyback ride through the castle and to our room, making me giggle the whole way to bed. Voldemort plopped me down on my back onto our bed, went to the bathroom, and then changed into his PJs. I took a quick shower, washed my face, and then slipped into a pair of thermal and wool mixed footy PJs. Voldemort laughed at my outfit, but I didn't care. I laid down on my left side, slid a pillow under my stomach for comfort, and sighed as Voldemort spooned me. If I weren't so tired, I would have laughed. Who would have ever guessed that the Dark Lord is a cuddler? In my head, I thanked God for my peaceful day today, asked for another one tomorrow, and then quickly fell into a deep sleep.

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**A/N: PLEASE REVIEW!

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**A/N: scara1: Just so you stop being a weenie about it all, the question was about how dark my chapter eight was and if my mood influenced the chapter. I shall tell you no more. Go look at the review/stop being a weenie, or stop being a weenie and move on. muhahahahaha. :)**


	13. Love Like Woe

**Chapter Thirteen: Love Like Woe**

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I don't understand why anyone would follow Him. He's crazy, for one, and he doesn't show the tiniest bit of kindness or appreciation to anyone for anything. He manipulates them, lies to them, and orders them around. How he has gotten so far is a complete mystery to me. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy his power. Some of his authority has been shared with me; very few people dare to tell me differently on any subject. I don't have any real power, but just the fact that my word, with the exception of Voldemort's, is final, feels pretty damn great.

My nineteenth birthday was a week ago, the fifth of May, and two days ago, the tenth, was Rastus' first birthday. My mother told me that toddlers, in general, start speaking when they're about twenty months, and start walking several months before that. Rastus is a prodigy; he has been walking for a month, and he's speaking in almost full sentences. I hope and pray that Octavius is as fast a developer as Rastus, because Voldemort is going to be extremely upset if his genius doesn't show in this child early on. Octavius is due on May twenty-ninth; Voldemort refuses to leave the palace this month unless it is absolutely necessary.

There was a large ball to celebrate my birthday; my friends, Gina and Katrina, were allowed to leave Hogwarts to come to my birthday ball. Honest to God, there were at least a thousand people at the ball, but my focus was on my two friends and my son. It makes sense that there were so many people, though. Voldemort is literally the most important man on the planet; his parties aren't going to be anything but fantastic. Blue and green complicated decorations lined the walls, gorgeous bouquets were in detailed ceramic vases on every table, and clever and cute party favors sat upon the tables as well. Many members of my family where at the ball, so a Greek band was hired to play traditional Greek music; some of the dances I had to skip out on, being so close to my due date thus being slower and scared to somehow hurt my unborn son, but I was able to dance the majority of the dances.

Gina and Katrina looked gorgeous; their hair was shiny and professionally done – they got ready with me in the afternoon. Gina wore a green dress that matched the color of her eyes. The dress was a secure tube top dress that emphasized her small bust, making it look larger, and the elastic around her waist followed by the silky bump like ruffles flowed down to just above her knees. She has beautiful, clear and smooth skin, so she put on very little make-up; just some eye make-up and lip stick, lightly coated with a sheer lip-gloss. Her straight, shinny hair flowed beautifully down her back, her green dress flattered her body, and her black, three-inch heels, completed her look.

Katrina recently dyed her hair a dark shade of auburn; I don't know if it was her goal, but the auburn really made her dark blue eyes pop. She had her hair curled and pinned up like a nineteen forties pin-up model, and decided to wear a dark blue, silky dress with a white ribbon underneath her bust that tied off in a large, decorative bow. She wore white pumps and did her make-up similar to Gina's make-up, only chose colors that flattered her outfit and her own face.

I, being the good friend that I am, did not cockblock these two. They looked absolutely gorgeous, and many men saw that. Of course I prevented the creepiest and sickest of the Death Eaters to address them, but the ones that seem alright, like the men that were sucked into Death Eating because their fathers are a part of it, I let talk to my pretty friends. I didn't really have to monitor the men who contemplated approaching them since I asked Marv to tell his loyalist and creepiest of followers to leave Gina and Katrina alone. Not only did he do that for me, but he also had my father teach him how to Greek dance, so at the ball he not only danced with me, but he danced well.

It's now May twentieth, and I'm on my way to the gardens. I just walked to his den, but it was empty. When he needs to think, but just can't, he goes out to the gardens to try to clear his mind of all unnecessary thought. I quietly stepped outside and closed the sliding glass door behind me. Rastus is with my brother, Gaston, today. Gaston came to my birthday ball, too, which was an extremely nice surprise. I didn't see him for a long time, so seeing him on my birthday was a gift I really did enjoy. Gaston spent the night in the palace and spent the next day with Rastus and me; Rastus immediately liked Gaston, and Gaston immediately liked Rastus. Gaston has today off from work, so he basically kidnapped Rastus for the day.

Anyway, I quietly waddled to the fountain made out of jade serpents to find Marv. Sometimes he goes to the lake, sometimes he just walks around, and sometimes he plants himself near a particularly interesting bunch of plants, but I had a feeling that he'd be here today. The fountain isn't too far off, which is nice since I don't like walking too far out when I'm so close to my due date.

I silently walked over to the fountain to find him lying down on the wide strip of diamonds that make the top layer of the bowl around the fountain, the bowl that holds in all the water. I sat down next to his head and ran my left hand gently through his thick, black hair. He drew in a deep breath, withdrew his arms from under his head, and scooted a few inches closer to me so he could rest his head on top of my half. My bulging belly covers about a third of my lap, almost half, but I still have plenty of lap for him to use as a pillow. I rested my left hand on his left bicep as I soothingly played with his hair with my right hand. We sat in silence for several minutes before he stared off into the gardens and asked, "Aren't you going to talk?"

A small smile crept onto my face, "If you wanted conversation, you would have started it."

The corners of his mouth twitched and slightly moved up. He half yawned, half sighed, and then replied, "You know me well."

"I like to think so."

His small smile grew, but he still didn't look up at me. We were quiet for several more minutes before he asked, "The newspapers say I'm getting soft."

I made a motorboat sounds with my lips before replying, "Obviously they are not truly talking about you. What are they even saying?"

"They're saying that I treat you with too much kindness to be a Dark Lord."

"_The_ Dark Lord."

His smile grew.

"Why haven't you censored the papers, anyway?"

He chuckled, "You can't take away all the rights of the people at once, Neem. They'll become upset and attempt to plot against me. I am immortal; I am in no rush. I have time to drain the people of their 'natural rights.'"

I sighed with slight amusement and started to play with his hair in the opposite direction as before. I gulped before whispering, "You could just burn down the establishments that say you're getting soft."

Marv laughed and then added, "And then I could have the editors of the papers behead and then have their heads be placed on spears."

"And then you could have those spears placed in the middle of the burnt down, ashy remains of the matching newspaper edifices."

He laughed again and finally looked up at me, "I actually rather like that idea. It'd prove that I am not soft."

I smiled and gently tugged at his hair, "No, but your hair is."

He rolled his eyes and then rolled up his right sleeve. A green outline of a Dark Mark was there; he gave it a deep poke with his left index finger and waited a moment before Rod Lestrange appeared in front of us. I awkwardly ignored them; I preoccupied myself with Marv's thick, black hair while he told Rod to execute what I thought we were joking about. Rod nodded and then left to set up what needs to be done. When Rod was back in the palace, Marv sighed and looked back up at me. I timidly smiled down at him while starting to massage his head. He drew in a deep, relaxed breath, and then asked me, "What were you talking about with your mother last night? I thought I heard her voice when I walked by the living room on the ground floor."

"We spoke about a baptism for Rastus."

He stared directly into my eyes, "And when did you plan on asking me about such?"

I bit the inside of my left cheek, "When I had the major details worked out. I don't want to waste your time with an idea in its infant stage."

He awkwardly nodded since his head is still in my lap, "You are to bounce all your ideas for events off of me before you are to bring them up with anyone else."

I drew in a deep breath; leave it to Voldemort to ruin the joy a child can bring. "Yes, my Lord."

Voldemort smiled back up at me, not so much in a happy way, but as if his world is being quickly put back together. Who were they to call him soft? Obviously they've never really been near him, let alone lived with him.

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**A/N: Please review! **

**More reviews = more updates. Jus' sayin'.**

**I'm sorry that this update is so very short, but I can't just keep it in Word for another half a week and contemplate on what I'm going to add to it; I'll just give it to you wonderful readers while I work on the rest of the scene separately. :)**

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**A/N:**

** Scara1, I have to agree with QuietKid that the "stupid americans" thing was rather rude. I know that you didn't mean to offend me and that you were just joking back with me, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't toss that out again. I hope this didn't start any sort of fight or resentment between us, because I do enjoy your reviews and talking to you.**

**QuietKid: I'm PUMPED that someone has addressed one of my major points: the awkward current stage of Voldemort. And I'm also glad that you trolled the review pages for My Derailment since I got a huge kick out of that review, too. I really appreciate your feedback and how long your review was; you obviously put time into it. It's worth the time I put into this series to see people are writing back and giving me their opinions. I encourage all you readers to comment/review. :) **

******Nytic: I enjoyed writing the idea, so I'm glad someone got a chuckle out of the concept. I imagine that Voldemort's evil and Neema's good would create either a neutral child, or a child that's completely different from both of them, hence the artsey, shy child. Voldemort is overwhelming aggressive, and Neema is growing into a rather strong woman, so I think the shy artist would be a fun addition to the dysfunctional family. hahaha**


	14. Tied Up Inside

**Chapter Fourteen: Tied Up Inside

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I won't lie, I was hoping he was going soft. On one, I could have a semi-normal life again, but on the other hand, his empire would probably fall and random rebels would raid our palace and terrible shit would happen to my children. I guess it's best for him to remain the cold, cut throat monster he is. He is getting a tad bit soft, though. He held my hands while I was in labor with Octavius, and he looked genuinely worried about the amount of pain I was experiencing. Octavius was a slightly larger baby than Rastus, so the pain was more than Rastus' birth, but once he was out, the pain left. I'm thirty-five years old now, but I still look twenty. Rastus is now seventeen, Octavius is sixteen, Pila is fifteen, Tibalt is fourteen, Leonidas is thirteen, and Leukos is ten; Pila is, as for now, our only daughter.

Rastus looks exactly like Draco, only his skin is a medium shade of olive, his hair is a medium brown now, but his almond shaped eyes are still one blue-grey and one green. He has a masculine, square jaw line, my straight nose and full lips, and favors the same short haircuts his father did. He stands at about six foot two, he is very intelligent, easily a genius, and he can tell you who is a good or bad person, how and why, and he is just as loyal as I am, which borders on the unhealthy. He's brave and loyal, intelligent and cunning, and he has manners and is disciplined. He never gave me any problems in the first place, to tell you the truth, but he knows when to be quiet and when to talk, and he rarely has any outbursts.

Octavius is olive, too, but not as olive as Rastus. He's six feet tall, has my brown eyes and straight nose, Voldemort's almost medium sized lips, and his somewhat slender, but still masculine jaw line. He has dark brown hair, a small, dark freckle on the side and top of his left nostril that I think is adorable, and is very intelligent, too. He's not as intelligent as Rastus, and he developed quickly, but not as quickly as Rastus. Thankfully Voldemort did not see this as a problem, so Rastus was never harmed or hated for that. Octavius wasn't as well behaved as Rastus, but he learned quickly and without too much repetition, and I never felt it necessary to raise my hand to him. That goes for all my children, actually, except for, of course, Rastus.

Pila has gorgeous, long, curly, brown hair, almond shaped, bright green eyes, and my straight nose and full lips, too. I never want her to feel the pain of her peers calling her fat, so I got her involved with fitness with me when she about ten years old, making her not just curvaceous for fifteen, but fit, too. In fact, all of my children are into fitness. She's a strong, girl, physically and mentally, is loyal, and is sometimes brave and sometimes cowardly, but never disgustingly so. Her father has instilled a feeling of superiority in her, as he has in all his children, but she is not a brat.

Tibalt and Leonidas both look quite a bit like Octavius, but slightly younger versions. Since both are very young, they are not as masculine as their brothers, but they are both intelligent and disciplined. Leukos looks strikingly like me, but he is only ten, so his body has no traces of masculinity like his brothers. Leukos is a very kind and gentle boy, and he favors Rastus out of all his siblings, and Rastus favors Tibalt and Leonidas get along best, and Octavius and Pila get along best.

Rastus, Octavius, and I are currently in a Death Eater meeting with Voldemort and a group of his highest valued Death Eaters. Rastus is seated to Lucius' right and my left, and I'm sitting to Voldemort's left; Voldemort is, shockingly, at the head of the table. Voldemort brought up a discussion about the funds in the treasury, which are extremely abundant and stable, but then Octavius said something. I wasn't really paying attention, so I didn't hear what he said, but Rastus very quietly hushed him by saying, "Be quiet; this is not our place."

Voldemort glared at Rastus and hissed, "Don't you tell my son what to do"

I glared at Voldemort, "You have—"

Voldemort hissed at me, "Quiet, woman."

Rastus wanted to shot up out of his seat, but I firmly gripped his right bicep to signal for him to stay seated. My glare became harsher while I told Voldemort, "I am your wife. You have selected me as an equal—"

Bellatrix cackled.

I immediately turned my head in her direction.

She smirked.

"What," I spat, "is so very funny to you?"

She cackled again and wiggled in her seat, "No one is an equal to our Dark Lord."

I stood up while Lucius grabbed Rastus' other bicep, keeping him down and allowing me to use both of my hands again. "Regardless of where I stand with Voldemort, I am and always will be above you."

Bellatrix stared at me with a sick type of excitement.

I stopped glaring at her, but didn't break my stare.

She blinked.

I grinned, "Challenge me one more time on _anything_ and you will receive punishment."

Voldemort laughed as I sat down.

I looked at him, "What's so funny?"

He laughed one more time before replying, "Punishment?"

I glared at him again, "I hate her. Why is she even here?"

Voldemort sighed, "She's been removed from the palace except for meetings. You know that."

"She's useless!" I shouted, "She doesn't evil kill people that are important to this cause. She just causes havoc."

Voldemort smirked while Bellatrix shouted in her shrill, less youthful voice, "I am not useless! You're useless!"

I shot up and crucioed her. After a good five minutes of her twisted, pain filled screams flooded the room, I stopped and said with a voice heavy with hate, "_I_ have given birth to the children of the Dark Lord! _I_ have done more important things in ten minutes than you have with your whole life!"

Bellatrix slowly crawled into her chair again. She rested her upper body against the table and then panted out, "You—"

"Don't say a word," I growled, "Just get out."

She looked at Voldemort, but he didn't say or do anything, so I repeated myself. Bellatrix looked bother, but she disapparated anyway. I sat back down and drew in a deep breath before looking at my only slightly bothered son, Octavius, and then at Voldemort. "I wish to leave."

Voldemort nodded and then said, "Take Rastus with you."

I wanted to ask why not Octavius, but that would just start another fight, so I grabbed Rastus' hand and apparated to the Malfoy Manor. Rastus has been here many times to visit his grandparents, but never in Draco's room. He stayed silent, but he followed me as I walked up the stairs and to the corridor with Draco's room. His large doors have been freshly dusted by the Malfoy's house elves, but they haven't been opened in seventeen years. I drew in deep breath, but then Rastus quietly asked me, "Whose room is this?"

I leaned against the door and pressed my warm, left cheek against the cool door. I stared at the floor and said with all my strength, "It belonged to your father."

Rastus gulped in an attempt to swallow the lump in his throat.

I drew in a long, deep breath, stood up straight, and opened the doors to his room. His sweet smell flooded my nostrils, light flooded in where the curtains parted, and all his items remained untouched. I drew my wand and took several steps into the room; Rastus closed the door behind him and slowly scanned the large room. I waved my wand to rid it of spiders and cobwebs before I gulped and said, "The mansion that can been seen from his balcony is where I used to live. I lived there for a short amount of time; we moved there the summer before my sixth year."

Rastus stayed silent.

"Your father and I knew each other all our lives, but we didn't really get along for our Hogwarts years." I drew in another deep breath and took a minute to stop the coming tears, "Voldemort did evil things to me—"

"He still does."

I looked over my left shoulder to my half distraught, half happy son. He finally can see the person his father was, he can finally see what he'll never be able to hear from his father; a bittersweet finding. "We can't go."

"I know."

I turned around and faced Rastus, "If we leave we'll be killed, I'm sure of it. We have it best with Him."

Rastus nodded and replied in a slightly quieter voice than before, "I know."

I walked over to him and gave him a loving hug before I whispered, "I love you more than anything else. Your father loves you more than anything else. You are the most loved child in the world."

Rastus was silent.

"And times are hard, but they'll get better. We'll have a chance. Your siblings will have a chance. One day we'll break free, and you and your siblings will be free."

"He's too strong now to really start a rebellion."

I laughed, "Gina has taught you well."

Rastus laughed and then broke free from me. He slowly walked around the room, carefully looking at everything. I walked over to Draco's old desk and sat down in his old chair. I relaxed against the back of the chair and stared at the aged pieces of parchment with his perfectly messy handwriting. Rastus walked up to me and opened the top drawer on the left and took out a stack of photos. Once he looked at one he'd give it to me to look at; they were pictures that Draco took of us from the start of our dating until the day before his death. Some were solely of him, some solely of me, but most of them were pictures of us together. Even when we were upset, we looked happy to be alive together.

Silent tears streamed down Rastus' cheeks as he handed me the last of the magically moving photos. I looked up at him and whispered, "I don't know if your father had weak constitution, or if he just wanted your grandfather to be proud of him, but he never truly liked being a Death Eater. He had his faults, but he was a good person."

Rastus nodded.

I stood up and led him around the room, explaining every object; what it was, why he had it, what it meant to him. I didn't want to leave the room, but I wanted to give Rastus privacy, so I plopped down on the side of the king sized, unmade bed that Draco dedicated to me whenever I came over. I breathed in the musky, sweet scent that remained in sheets, and for just a second, just one second, I was seventeen again. I was with Draco in our home, forgetting our pains, forgetting the evils that dictated our lives, just happy to be together. He was an elitist, he could be cowardly, but he loved me. I was too proud, I could never find it in myself to back down, but I loved him. We loved each other, and that was all that mattered. I could have gone back in time, maybe even should have, but for what? He had to die. If I went back I would just have to see him die a hundred different ways. I just have to let things die, but his smell is still here, and if it's still here he's not truly dead, and if he's not truly dead then there's nothing to let die.

Rastus cleared his throat and then said in a cracked, but still deep voice, "He's killing you. That monster is killing you more and more each day."

"He's gotten better," I sighed, "He used to be much worse to me."

"He doesn't love you, and he never will."

"I don't ever want him to. I'll never love him."

Rastus licked his dry lips so they'd feel less cracked, "I miss Dad."

I snorted the mucus in my nose farther back before whispering, "I miss him, too."

Rastus sat down at the foot of the bed; I slowly sat up and joined him. He looked at me and asked, "Will you tell me more about him?"

I nodded and then quietly asked, "What do you want to know about him?"

Rastus stayed quiet for a long time; when he talked I almost didn't hear him, "I remember seeing him when I was like two… He visits in my dreams, but we never get to talk too much about his mortal life."

I sucked up my snot again and then laughed awkwardly, "That noise is so gross."

Rastus chuckled, "Everyone makes it at some point."

I nodded and then said, "He was never really mean; he could be rude and a snob, but he never wanted to cause people pain. He enjoyed delinquency, he would find humor in harassment—"

Rastus laughed, "What does that even mean?"

I laughed and then said, "He would pick on people, I suppose he was a bully in childhood. He would make fun of people as we grew older, but very rarely did he do a personal attack. He never sought someone out with ideas of hurting them."

Rastus nodded.

I drew in a deep breath and wrapped my right arm around my slumped over son. He rested his head against my shoulder and found comfort in my hand playing with his hair. "He was a Slytherin through and through, but he always did his best to protect me. He wasn't a bad person, but his own self-interest was his top priority. He loved me, though. And love is more than just you or someone else, it's you _and_ someone else. Maybe it's selfish, maybe we protect and are with that other person for the feeling it gives us, not for their benefit, but it doesn't matter. Our love was strong and pure, it still is. We're just having trouble with our long distance relationship."

Rastus laughed and laughed; after a long time of laughter, he sighed and then asked me, "I look just like him."

"Almost a carbon copy."

He whispered, as if he was afraid of the answer this question would bring, "Does it ever hurt to look at me?"

"No," I kissed the top of his head, "You bring me happiness."

Rastus croaked out, "Why?"

I squeezed him, "You're proof of the love that your father and I share. You're a good boy, Rastus. You're a good person, and you're turning into a great man. You bring me no pain; I miss your father, but you're not your father. You are his son, and to have his son with me can only bring me happiness."

Rastus looked at me with his bloodshot eyes, "Does he ever visit your dreams?"

"Rarely."

Almost immediately, he asked me, "Why?"

"Because he needs to be with you."

Rastus just looked at me.

"I had my time with him, and I'll be with him again some day, but I don't need him right now. You do. You need your real father, a man who actually loves you. It's not fair that he can't be with us in the mortal world, so he is with us in a more limitless place."

Rastus nodded.

"I'm not hurt that I see him less. You didn't steal him away from me. I'd be hurt if he visited me more than you."

I couldn't quite vocalize my feelings because there are no words to express why his father really needs to be with him more than with me, but Rastus understood anyway.

We left the Malfoy Manor after Rastus felt it necessary to leave. Rastus placed a charm on one of Draco's white tees and put it under his pillow in his room. Maybe I shouldn't have let him take it, maybe I should have made him keep leave it in Draco's room, but I just couldn't. If the scent of his father comforts him, then who am I to take that away? I already took away his father.

The meeting was long gone when we came back. Rastus went directly up into his room, but I wandered into the private family room; only Marv, our kids, Rastus, and I are allowed into this family room. He was reading the Daily Prophet, smirking at the articles about his empire and his glory and power. Pila was reading on the couch; I bought her many books for Christmas, and even though there's a week until Christmas rolls around, I let her open one gift. Tibalt and Leonidas were playing wizard chess, and Leukos was daydreaming in an armchair. I quietly plopped down next to Marv on the small loveseat he chose and leaned against him. He looked down at me; I felt a pinch like feeling in my brain, but I'd rather keep our conversation just between us; our kids speak all the same languages we do, he even passed down Parsletongue to them.

"_Where did you two go?_"

"_The Malfoy Manor._"

He raised his right brow, "_Why?_"

"_You've made it more than clear that he is not your son. He needs to see who is._"

Voldemort laughed and then wrapped his right arm around me.

I frowned, but I don't really care anymore. We have great times and we have bad times; right now is bad, but I've grown used to his touch. Part of me wants to fall in love with him regardless of what he's put me through. Part of me wants to stop faking being in love with him and just let my heart feel it, but I know I never really can feel it for him. When things are great it feels like I love him, but I know I really don't.

Voldemort sighed and tossed the paper onto the floor. I leaned against his shoulder while he said, "Does Bellatrix really upset you that much?"

"I truly hate her."

Voldemort nodded and then said, "I will only have her at palace meetings if her presence is absolutely necessary."

I snuggled him and whispered, "Thank you."

He nodded and kissed the top of my head, "Your son hates me."

"You aren't exactly fond of him, either."

Voldemort grinned, "He didn't even like me when he was an hour old."

I laughed, "It doesn't help that you make him feel like an outcast."

Voldemort rolled his eyes.

I looked up at him and said, "I know he's not truly yours, Marv, but he doesn't defy you. He doesn't have outbursts; he is a good boy who gives you very few problems. I'm not asking you to identify him as truly yours, but please," I scooted drew in a deep breath, "for me, Marv. Please, don't make his life more painful."

He rolled his eyes, but then he whispered, "I'll consider it."

I placed my warm right hand on his cool left cheek and slowly turned his face. I whispered, "Thank you," and then kissed him. We kissed for a minute before Leukos shouted, "_Ewwww!_"

Voldemort rolled his eyes and parted from me, "Luke—"

"_Leukos_."

Voldemort momentarily glared at me, "_Leukos,_ just look away."

I whispered, "It is gross to see your parents going at it."

Voldemort rolled his eyes, but then he said, "It was just a kiss."

I rested against him again and used him as a make shift pillow. He magically picked up the Daily Prophet as I made myself comfortable against his side. He kept his right arm tightly around me, so he magically turned the pages of the paper. I kissed his shoulder. He looked down at me and asked, "I have business to attend to tomorrow morning. Do you want me to take Rastus?"

I bit the inside of my lip; he can't harm Rastus, greater forces then Voldemort protect Rastus, and Rastus has already seen the evils of his step father, plus tomorrow will be just inspections and then a meeting. "Yes, please."

Voldemort nodded, "Then I will. Make sure he's ready by nine."

I nodded, yawned, and then whispered, "I love you, Marv."

Voldemort looked down at me with slight confusion before he nodded; I rarely say that to him. He has to do something truly important for me or brings me extreme happiness for me to tell him that. The first few times he heard it he was disgusted; love is beneath him. But he'd be lying if he said he didn't like the sound of my voice expressing affection for him. He's never told me he loves me, too, but I don't care.

Voldemort absent mindedly played with my hair as I drifted to sleep against him.

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**A/N: Please review! I saw HP and the DHs Part 1 last night, and I loved it! I wish they would have just put both parts together; I wouldn't have minded sitting down for five hours to see it all. So go see it asap!

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**A/N: scara1: It's okay. :)

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**A/N: Nyctic: I'm glad you like where I'm taking the story! I hope you're still liking it even though I skipped quite a bit of time. I figure writing about her and her kids when they're independently thinking people is more interesting than her continuously giving birth. lol And Neema was just hoping that he had the slightest bit of a heart more than anything else. He's still a cruel man, but she's trying to get some sort of affection out of him since she'll be stuck with him for a while.

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**A/N: LucyXxX: Thanks for the review! I appreciate all the reviews I receive. I'll be on vacation from Monday through Friday, so I won't be updating those days. **


	15. Cold and Confusion

**Chapter Fifteen: Cold and Confusion**

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**{Draco's P.O.V.}**

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I highly doubt that Voldemort hates Rastus because Rastus is my child. I don't know, but I can't help but to think that he hates Rastus because Rastus has something his children never will have, pure blood. Voldemort can tell himself that he is the best all he wants, that he is the purest ever, but he still knows that he's a half blood, that half of him is the very thing that he hates. And here, a strong, handsome, intelligent young man looks him in the eyes everyday; Rastus is seventeen years old and more of a man than Voldemort will ever be. The blood in my boy is pure; he comes from two pureblooded parents, and he's been blessed with God's kiss. Voldemort's hatred surely isn't because this boy isn't from his own seed, but because this boy is everything he's desired, but has never been able to acquire.

I'm standing in the middle of a single ray of light that is flooding Rastus' room. He has the same room that Neema dedicated to him, but he painted the walls, and Neema provided him with furniture he likes. My son is an organized young man. He rarely leaves his room a mess, he always finishes his assignments, and I don't think he's ever back talked or given Neema any problems. He bites his tongue when Voldemort speaks or acts; the only time he acts against Voldemort is when he sprung up to protect his mother or his siblings. Rastus looks so much like me, but doesn't act or think like me. Neema put me in too good of a light. I was a jackass and I know it; I did love Neema, though, and I still do. The only time I could be truly brave for her was our last moments, when it was going to be either her sister or me.

Neema has taken advantage of the fact that she can't die by protecting him at all costs. She lets him live, she lets him discover, but when it comes to Death Eaters and Voldemort, she has made it apparent that she is not a force to be reckoned with, not when her children are involved. I think that's where he's found his strength. He is surrounded by cowards and cold blooded, throat-slicing creatures. Not people, creatures. In fact, the only person around him who really is brave is Neema. My father could barely protect me, he can't protect Rastus; his great, great grand father does his best, but when Rastus really needs protection, he's not there. Voldemort has beaten Neema on many occasions for protecting Rastus; seeing his mother hurt has hurt him, but he's also seen in that same moment, the love he has from his mother. Yes, I wish he didn't see his mother be tossed around, but those moments flood his eyes with more than just horrors. He has witnessed what real love is. People say that they love one another, but very few would actually help in the exact second of real need.

I love Neema. I can't move into the true realm of where my spirit belongs because I'm too attached to Earth, because I'm too stuck on the things that I left behind. On the person I left behind, on the child I'll never be able to hold in the physical world. But I can still see him, and he can still see me when he sleeps. He knows me, he sees me, and I can help guide him in his life, but my visits aren't what have shaped him.

He's dressed now. He's wearing brown dress shoes, brown slacks, and a golden button up shirt. He's sitting down on the inside ledge of his large, open window, waiting for Voldemort's call. He slowly reached his hand out and watched as a snowflake dropped onto his warm, deliberate hand. The snowflake melted against the warmth of his hand; liquid gathered at the edge of his bottom lids, but they didn't fall.

He left last night while Neema was asleep; he went to my room. He didn't cry for too long of a time, but he cried hard. I touched him, but he didn't feel me. And maybe just as well, maybe he didn't so much need me, but a moment for himself. He looked at all my clothing, trying to get an idea of who I was from my wardrobe. He saw my old school robes and the fading Slytherin patches on them. He smiled at my winter hats and rubbed their fur linings between his fingers. He bit down on the inside of his bottom lip when he saw my candid pictures of his mother. I never told her that I took them because I felt like I was stealing from her, and I felt less like a thief when she didn't know. I felt like I was stealing moments from her; I felt wrong for not showing her the pictures, they were, after all, her moments, but I wanted to keep them all to me.

I have pictures pinned to and lining my walls of her; I have one of her just smiling out the window, watching raindrops cling and slide down the glass separating her from the cold outside. I have one of her in a sleepy daze, just putting her hair up. I have another one of her laughing at a joke she remembered. I have a picture of her writing music, another one of her playing music. Rastus didn't look at too many of them; I could see on his face that he didn't feel right looking at my pictures of his mother. Neema was only physically three years younger, but she appeared much more youthful. She wasn't under so much stress, she wasn't forced into a world of pain. She was with me. She was wronged, she was hurt, but she was alive. Voldemort killed her the day he had her kill me. If it weren't for her kids, she probably wouldn't have any life in her. I think Rastus saw the difference between the pictures of Neema and her face in his mind. He didn't feel guilty because it wasn't his fault. He didn't feel dirty for looking at the pictures because they were pure. He felt different. He saw the pictures of the woman his mother was and craved for a world where life was allowed to bloom. Where the evils of his stepfather isn't the nurturing rain to the twisted weeds deeply rooted into the Earth.

I sat down next to him and cried with no sounds. My son looks just like me; I don't look like an old man, I don't look like his father, I look like I could be his brother. I reached my hand into his open one and touched the melted snowflake. Rastus smiled slowly while he watched it freeze into a pale golden snowflake. He didn't turn his head and try to find me or try to speak. He just closed his hand, as if he was holding my hand.

He took one of my white shirts when he went to my room with Neema; his spell on it has frozen my smell to it forever. He sleeps with it under his face and breathes in my smell every night; I don't know if it helps him sleep better. Maybe it makes him think of the past, maybe it gives him hope for a brighter future. Maybe the proof of my existence reminds him of past happiness, makes him dream of the possibilities for future happiness.

Our brief moment prepared him for Voldemort; Voldemort barged in, cleared his throat, and then said, "Your mother wants me to take you along today."

Rastus drew in a deep breath before standing up. He grabbed his brown coat off of his bed while asking, "Are we apparating?"

"Yes," Voldemort said and eyed him. He stuck out his arm when Rastus approached him, and Rastus held on to it while Voldemort apparated them to outside of a small, pale green building. Rastus immediately let go of Voldemort's arm and looked at him in silence. Voldemort drew in a deep breath to recover from the apparition, stood up straight, and then looked at my son, "The women in there will try to sully you. Don't let them; your mother would never forgive me."

Rastus' lips were cold and gradually chapping from the cold winter air, but they slowly cracked into a small smile anyway. "I didn't know you cared about if my mother was happy with you or not."

Voldemort shrugged and started to walk towards the building; Rastus walked in step with him and to his left the whole time. "My home life is easier if your mother is happy."

Rastus drew in a deep breath and enjoyed the feeling of the crisp air in his strong lungs. "I won't tell anyone if you actually like her."

Voldemort's thin lips pursed into a small smile.

Rastus' smile turned into a humored smirk, "You did go to a bit of trouble to acquire her, a bit more to keep her. You had her give you children; surely you like her the tiniest bit."

Voldemort sighed and looked at Rastus when they reached the brown doors of the building, "Don't get ahead of yourself, boy."

Rastus' lips pursed.

"I've grown used to her. I enjoy her presence; my palace seems empty when she is not in it, but I could replace her."

Rastus sighed and kept silent. He wasn't going to get a straight answer out of Voldemort about anything, especially not when it comes to the affections he holds for Neema, even if they're almost nonexistent.

Voldemort knocked on the door; a pale, thin man immediately opened the door and invited Voldemort in. Rastus whispered a thanks out of courtesy while Voldemort made his way to a black door at the end of a hallway. Voldemort walked in without any problem, but Rastus drew in a deep breath before stepping inside. The door magically slammed shut behind them, drawing the attention of everyone in the room to him. Voldemort walked over to a man in red robes who immediately stood up out of his armchair and bowed to Voldemort. Rastus didn't follow Voldemort; he stared with wide, but pleased eyes, at the numerous women who lingered in the room near pools of water and flowers. They smiled at Rastus, and Rastus smiled back, mostly because they wore the sheerest of garments that barely covered their most private areas. A gorgeous black woman with extremely curly hair that formed a small Afro walked up to Rastus and said, "This room is hot, would you like me to take your coat and put it up for you?"

Rastus gulped and ran his right hand through his thick, brown hair and replied, "Uhm… Sure, thanks." Rastus took his wand out of his coat pocket and placed it into the right front pocket of his slacks. He then took of his coat and handed it to the woman. She walked away, swinging her wide hips all the way to the coat rack. Rastus stared at her until Voldemort called him over to the round table where he was seated. Rastus walked over to Voldemort and gulped while Voldemort took a small piece of folded parchment out of his pocket.

Voldemort looked into my son's eyes and said, "These women are clean and are currently incapable of becoming impregnated." He opened the piece of parchment while still looking up at Rastus, "Still, protect yourself."

Rastus nodded feverishly and read the spells; they were labeled one by one; they all were various contraceptive spells.

A humored smirk crept onto Voldemort's face, "I'm going to be talking policies and politics with Andrew. You may sit with us, or you may roam the room."

Rastus nodded again, pocketed the spells, said a rushed thank you, and walked away. Voldemort chuckled while turning back to the short, rather scared looking man while Rastus walked back to the gorgeous woman who took his coat. She smirked and said, "My name is Konstantine."

Rastus sucked in a deep breath and said, "I'm Rastus."

She nodded and sat down on a near by, red love seat. She crossed her right leg over her left knee and stretched her arms out on the top of the love seat. Rastus immediately sat down next to her while she said, "Neema's first born?"

Rastus nervously placed his large hands on his thighs, "Yes."

"Your mother is a good woman."

Rastus nodded.

"She came in here with your step father once. She seemed incredibly bored."

"I'm sure she was."

The woman smirked and laughed. "Enough about her."

Rastus nodded again.

The woman scooted closer to him, "You're quite good looking. How old are you?"

"Eighteen in May."

She nodded.

I walked away and sat at the table with Voldemort. One of us had to listen in on his plans; my son is preoccupied with beautiful women, and personally, as a teenager, I probably would have done the same. He's not a virgin, but he's not a womanizer. What's going to happen is going to happen, and quite frankly, I don't want to intrude on his fifteen minutes of fame.

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Rastus walked out of the pale edifice with Voldemort several hours later; it's evening now, but they ended up leaving in the afternoon instead of nine AM. They walked in silence to the gate before Voldemort stopped and looked at Rastus. He laughed and then said, "Fix your hair, boy."

Rastus gulped and quickly finger combed his hair.

Voldemort chuckled and then magically unbuttoned Rastus' shirt while saying, "You buttoned those in a hurry. It's better to be slightly late than a mess; the latter is much more suspicious." Voldemort then magically buttoned them correctly.

Rastus looked into Voldemort's eyes, "Why are you helping me?"

"Because I don't want to argue with your mother tonight."

Rastus nodded to accept Voldemort's answer, but immediately stopped and asked Voldemort, "Why do you know those spells?"

"I've had many women before your mother."

Rastus' eyes slowly squinted into a very serious glare, "What about after?"

"What about after?" Voldemort glared back.

Rastus was silent, but his glare remained.

Voldemort sighed and rolled his eyes, "None after you mother; she is my wife. Rastus,"

Rastus stopped glaring, but he was still silent.

"Your mother is the most beautiful woman in the world. All of those women combined aren't half as gorgeous as Neema. I have no use or desire for any other woman."

Rastus physically relaxed; he could tell that Voldemort was being honest, but he doesn't like him any more than before. Rastus grabbed onto Voldemort's arm while they apparated away; Voldemort apparated them near the fireplace in the private family room. Neema shot up and rushed over to them. She hugged Voldemort tightly to her and then parted from him. She put her hands on Rastus' elbows and squeezed them, "How was it? How are you? What'd you do?"

Rastus laughed nervously while Voldemort smirked, "It was fine. I'm well."

Neema cocked her head slightly to the right and upwards while her eyes squinted the tiniest bit; it's her detective face, and yes, I do know it well. "What did you do?"

Rastus gulped; he's never been one for lies. "I went with Him to speak to some pale man about policies and politics."

"What was spoken?"

"Muggle policies."

"What about them?"

"How to suppress them. How to deal with tiny muggle born rebellions."

Neema didn't believe him, so she looked at Voldemort, "You didn't go to that pale green building, did you?"

"Which one?"

She glared at him, "The one with all those hookers inside it."

"They're not hookers." Voldemort quickly replied.

"Then what are they?"

Voldemort rolled his eyes, "It doesn't matter. Yes, I went there. I had to speak with Andrew. Don't bother bitching, you're the one who wanted me to take Rastus."

Neema sighed angrily and walked away; the room only had her and Octavius in it; Octavius was smiling with anticipation for the oncoming comedic argument. "I wanted you two to bond, not for him to screw random women."

"They weren't random!" Rastus squeaked.

Neema turned swiftly on her heels and shouted, "Oh sweet Jesus! Did you at least use some contraceptive spells?"

"Of course!" Rastus yelled and then said, "Can we not talk about this? I don't want to speak about my sex life with my mother!"

Neema marched over to Voldemort and roughly poked him in the chest with her right index finger, "I wanted you two to bond! Why? Why did you do this shit?"

Voldemort laughed and grabbed Neema's hands in hers. "Calm down, sugar lips—"

Rastus and Octavius cringed at the same time and said in unison, "_Ewwww!_"

Voldemort and Neema ignored them. Rastus power walked over to Octavius and waved at him to follow him. Octavius and Rastus quickly left the room while Neema told Voldemort, "I want you two to establish the slightest bit of a relationship."

"I'm sure he likes me much better now."

"Why? Because you took him to what is essentially a whore house?"

Voldemort smirked and bent at the knees so he could rest his forehead against Neema's, "You liked the women there."

"I was twenty one and you tricked me. And what's me being bisexual have anything to do with you allowing my son to screw whores?"

Voldemort laughed, "I let him screw. I took him to a place filled with beautiful woman. If that doesn't get him to like me, nothing will."

Neema angrily sighed and rolled her eyes. She pushed Voldemort away from her and said, "God forbid he caught something." Neema stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face Voldemort. She glared at him the most vicious glare of the century and then growled, "I will torture you forever if he impregnated one of those women."

Voldemort slid his hands into the front pockets of his black slacks, "How many times have I heard your, 'Don't get a woman pregnant out of wedlock' speech? More times than our children. He didn't get any of them pregnant."

Neema sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're taking him to your Hogwarts meeting tomorrow."

"I'm taking the other kids—"

"Now Rastus, too."

Voldemort looked at her with temporary disbelief, "Who are _you_ to tell _me_ what to do?"

"I am the mother of your children. If you want your home life to run smoothly it'd be wise to please me."

Voldemort rolled his eyes and then laughed, "I'll take him tomorrow only if I can take you tonight."

"I don't want to go to Hogwarts tonight."

Voldemort rolled his eyes again and then sighed, "I didn't—"

"Oh sweet Jesus." Neema sighed, "I'm teaching Pila this evening."

"All evening?"

"No."

"Good."

Neema sighed angrily and rolled her eyes, "Fine. But I'm not cutting time out of my time with Pila just because of your libido."

Voldemort walked up to Neema and squeezed her to him, "That's fine."

Neema relaxed against his chest.

"I'm going to take a hot shower and take a nap. I expect to find you there when I wake up."

Neema smirked, "Then wake up when I get there."

They both laughed.

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**A/N: Please review!**

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**A/N: scara1: Quite a few more.**

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**A/N: Lucy: Thanks for the review. I would have updated sooner, but I was out of the country all week. :)**

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**A/N: Nightmare Raven: I appreciate the review! You probably won't see this shout out for a little while, but I do appreciate you taking the time to review my work. Especially since it wasn't recently posted - those chapters, anyway. And yes, you did miss a few character developments that I had in My Derailment. If you have some time, I'd suggest reading it so you can get a fuller picture of my OC and of Voldemort in this story. :)**

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**A/N: Nyctic: I praise your long reviews; they bring happiness to my heart. I saw the video for "Mine," too, but no, that didn't influence my usage of the song. I love that song, and it fit what I was trying to get between Draco and Neema - they were having some problems, but they were in love. The guy in that video does look quite a bit like Tom Felton; I think he was also in that movie...the Covenant? I think Taylor Lautner was in it, too. My next chapter will be more about the other kids, so you'll get your OC children character development fix there. lololol And thanks for just putting in your comments about it, too. I really do appreciate it, and no, you're not some rambling crazy person. :)(:**


	16. Bigmouth Strikes Again

** Chapter Sixteen: Bigmouth Strikes Again**

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I trotted up the stairs and into Pila's room shortly after my talk with Voldemort. I wrapped my knuckles against the door twice before opening it up and stepping inside. I haven't been in Pila's room in a while, so I went ahead and did a quick scan while closing the door behind me. Pila is a beautiful girl, not that I'm surprised. I'm attractive and so is her father; not to be conceited, but both her parents are extremely good looking. She inherited my full lips and curly brown hair along with my huge backside. I told her to clean her room, so she is, with magic. I never said she couldn't, and Marv doesn't care if our children use magic before seventeen. He owns the world, so if they don't abide by the underage magic law it's not too big of a deal. Pila is lying down on her stomach with her knees bent into the mattress and the rest of her legs up in the air and crossed at the ankles. She's reading _Witch Weekly_, a teenage magazine for magical folk.

Pila looked up from her magazine and smiled at me rather timidly before asking me, "Mom, can you keep a secret?"

I scrunched my face up and made a motorboat sound, "Of course. Why?"

She sighed and bit down on the right edge of her bottom lip. With a quiet voice, she said, "Well, I have a boyfriend…"

"Ohh!" I squealed and rushed over to her. I plopped down on her bed to her left. I crossed my legs and drew them into my chest with a schoolgirl grin on my face. She laughed at me and rolled onto her side so she could look up into my face. "What's he like?"

Pila decided to sit up instead of lay down; she crossed her legs and folded her hands into her lap. "He's a pureblood, but I'm afraid Dad won't like him."

I rolled my eyes playfully, "Your father doesn't like anyone."

Pila laughed and nodded.

"Anyway," I smiled encouragingly, "What's he like? What's his name? What does he look like? How long have you two been dating?"

She smiled sheepishly, "Year and a half tomorrow."

My jaw fell down, "And you never told me!"

Pila immediately grew defensive, "If I told you then Dad could know!"

I sighed rather angrily, but I nodded, "Very true. Why are you hiding him from your father if he's a pureblood?"

Pila bit down on her bottom lip again.

"Come on," I softly urged, "your room is sound proof and my lips are sealed."

Pila drew in a deep breath before saying, "His name is Andante."

I slumped a bit instead of sitting up straight. I rested against my legs and said, "And?"

"We're in the same year."

"And? What does he look like?"

Pila swallowed the lump in her throat and then said, "He's black."

I was silent for a moment, "Is that the cause of your anxiety?"

Pila nodded.

"Your father doesn't care so much for race as blood status."

She stayed silent.

"Personally, I love black men. I asked your father if I could have a black baby after I gave birth to Rastus."

Pila laughed, "Really?"

"Yea," I smiled, "He almost gave in, but then I said I'd have to adopt if I wanted a black baby."

Pila shrugged, "I'm not surprised."

I laughed and rested my forehead against my knees for a minute while I laughed. I looked at her over my kneecaps and then said, "Is he at Hogwarts for the holiday season?"

"Yes."

"You guys are going to Hogwarts tomorrow."

"I know."

"Why doesn't he stay with us for the holiday?"

"No." Pila rushed, "No, no, no."

I raised my right brow, "And why not?"

"I'm afraid that Dad won't like him. I'm afraid that Dad will make us break up."

I awkwardly made my way next to my daughter. She leaned against me, so I lovingly wrapped my right arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "I won't let your Dad ruin your relationship with Andante. I promise."

"But his word is law," Pila paused for a moment, "literally."

I immediately roared with laughter, but when I calmed down I drew in a deep breath and said, "I can influence him." I moved so that she could look me in my eyes, "Do you know why your father married me?"

"No." Pila whispered, still looking dejected.

I drew in a deep breath and quietly told her, "I had a husband before him, you know."

"Rastus' dad?"

"Yes," I nodded, "Your father makes him out to be unimportant, but he was my soul mate. He still is my soul mate."

"And what happened?"

"Your father killed him."

"What?" She half shouted, half squeaked.

"Well," I shrugged, "He made me do it; it was either him or your Aunt Drea. Draco had me chose him instead of Drea."

"Draco?"

"That's his name." I sighed and blinked a few times to fight away some tears, "Draco Malfoy. Son of Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy."

Pila just stared at me. "Well… I feel _loads_ better now."

I laughed and then hugged her to me. I rocked her back and forth like I used to when she was a small child and couldn't sleep, or when she was frightened. "I'm not going to lie to you or let you live an illusion anymore. Your father isn't cold hearted, he doesn't have a heart." I paused for a moment and considered telling her that her father is a lair too, since he's only a half blood. "He saw me dance one day and thought I was gorgeous, so he raped me. From that point on he thought he owned me. Because of his crime against me," I gulped, "Draco and I bonded and fell in love. Draco and I feel deeply in love and quickly. We married at the end of our sixth year; back when I went to Hogwarts, there were only seven years, not eight."

Pila nodded and hugged me tightly.

"Draco became a Death Eater probably to please his father. I don't really know why." I sighed again, "Anyway, Voldemort assigned him impossible tasks; long story short, we ended up fleeing Hogwarts together. Your father thought we were fools, so to mock us he preformed a magical marriage on us, but we got the last laugh there, for we really were in love."

Pila silently cried on me.

I played with her curly hair and said, "We still are in love. I'll always love Draco."

Pila squeezed me.

"One day, to punish me for whatever crime I committed, probably just to hurt my family further, Voldemort was going to rape Drea, too."

Pila was silent.

I gulped and wiped away my tears, "I stopped him before he could do anything but taunt her and undress her. I tried to kill him."

Pila laughed and then said, "How?"

"With a baseball bat."

Pila made a motorboat noise.

I laughed, "I'm serious. I almost killed him, too."

"What stopped you?"

"A split second of confusion."

Pila was silent again.

"I ended up being over powered; he had me kill Draco and made a horcrux from that."

Pila suddenly jerked closer to me and sobbed into my chest. "I, I k-knew he was cruel, but that's terrible!"

"Don't cry," I whispered and held her tightly, rocking back and forth again. "Life has slowly gotten better for me, Pila. I appease your father and your father is happy. Lately, we've actually been pretty happy together."

"But you two aren't in love. He stole you. He wronged you."

"Don't focus on that," I whispered, "He has no reason to do that to you. I'm the last person he'll hurt like that. He'll let you and Andante be unless Andante goes against him with some sort of rebellion against his empire."

Pila half laughed, half cried, but her tears were slowing.

"I guess I can introduce him tomorrow. Will you tell Dad he exists so he doesn't get upset when I tell him how long we were dating?"

"Yes," I said and kissed the top of her head, "he'll probably get an ego stroke out of it, anyway."

Pila snorted and then laughed.

I sighed and then said, "Don't tell anyone what I just told you. Your other siblings don't know."

"What about Rastus?"

"I don't know," I shrugged, "We don't talk about it, it hurts him too much."

Pila nodded and pulled away from me. She wiped away her tears and dried her face with her green, long sleeves. "I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you," I flashed Pila a warm, motherly smile.

She nodded.

I drew in a deep breath, "Is there anything else you want to ask me?"

Pila nervously rushed out, "Doesthefirsttimehurt?"

"What?" I raised my right brow, "I didn't understand you."

She drew in a breath and then whispered, "Does the first time hurt?"

I drew in a deep breath and ran my hands through my hair, "Let me teach you contraceptive spells before you go off with Andante."

Pila nodded.

I drew in another breath and then said, "It does hurt. The amount of pain depends on your size and the size of his penis—"

"It's pretty big."

I laughed and then I stared at her, "How do you know?"

She sat silently and timidly and crookedly smiled.

I sighed, "Never mind, I don't want to know."

Pila laughed.

"Regardless of the pain level, just have him go slow until you adjust; the pain will subside after a few minutes."

Pila nodded.

"Anything else?"

"Those contraceptive spells?"

I rolled my eyes, "I'm not going to teach you them tonight."

Pila started to whine, but I cut her off.

"Don't worry about it Pila, I'll teach you before Christmas."

She grinned half sheepishly, half with slight perversion.

I laughed and rolled my eyes again, "I don't want to know anything about your sex life, just be safe. Don't let him hurt you. Don't let boys take advantage of you. Respect yourself and _never_ have _any_ type of sex without protection. There are magical contraceptives, so you'll have no excuse."

Pila nodded.

"Like I said, just respect yourself. Don't do something you'd frown upon if another girl told you about it."

Pila nodded again.

"Don't have sex with just anyone, especially since you're Voldemort's daughter."

Pila rolled her eyes.

"I know that it sounds stupid and unfair, but really, Pila. I know you're not going to sleep around. You're a good girl, I know. But don't rush into your first time, you're still pretty young."

Pila nodded.

"Only go at it with a boy you love. Don't have sex with someone you're not already romantically involved with. Don't let anyone pressure you into sex for any reason. Don't let anyone use you."

"I only want to have sex with Andante."

I smirked, "For _now_. If you're _anything_ like either of your parents—"

"Oh good Lord!" Pila shouted and clamped her hands over her ears, "I don't want to know about your sex life! Or Dad's! Oh, God!"

I laughed, "You are my daughter."

Pila scowled at me.

I smiled and playfully rolled my eyes. I was going to continue talking, but then I heard something outside. Pila's window is open, so I got up and looked out from the window and down onto a long, empty stretch of curved road. I squinted my eyes and signaled to Pila to be quiet while I strained my ears. I heard Octavius, Tibalt, and Leonidas laugh while something similar to a car engine, if not a car engine, was revved. I gripped onto the inner panel of the window and stuck my head out of the window; three of my five sons, Octavius, Tibalt, and Leonidas were outside, getting ready to race with some of our fastest cars. I pushed away from the window and back into Pila's room, quietly shouting, "Son of a bitch!"

"What's wrong?"

I dismissed her comment and ran into my room; Pila followed me. Luckily, Marv just slipped into a pair of pajama pants. Water droplets from his recent shower clung to his pale, but amazingly defined body. He grinned at my disheveled state, but stopped himself from saying something sleazy when he saw Pila run in after me. "What's wrong?" He asked while eyeing me.

"Your sons!" I shouted, "Are about to race!"

He shrugged and sat down on the foot of our bed. "What's wrong with that? They're boys. They need to get their energy out—"

"No!" I shouted, "About to race our cars!"

"What?" He shouted and sprung up.

Pila squeaked, "Isn't Rastus the only one who knows how to drive?"

I ran my hands through my curly, slightly tangled up hair, "They're going to get so hurt!"

Marv grabbed his wand and rushed pass me, "They're going to damage the cars!"

I rolled my eyes but grabbed my wand and ran out anyway; Pila followed along to see what was happening. Leukos was walking back inside his room, but quickly started to run with us when he saw our rushed, focused, rather distressed group. He asked Pila what was going on, but she just shrugged. We sprinted out to where the boys were racing; they were laughing and revved their engines again; Octavius and Tibalt were in two separate cars while Leonidas was counting down to zero so they could start racing, but immediately stopped when he caught sight of his father not only sprinting to him, but angrily. He was only wearing pants; no shoes or a shirt, obviously he was pissed if he left without more clothing. Leonidas dropped his wand and squeaked from terror. Octavius and Tibalt were about to mock him, but then Marv magically turned off their cars, ran in front of Leonidas, and roared at them, "WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?"

Octavius and Tibalt turned their keys back and took them out. They slowly left the cars and babbled incoherently over each other.

"DON'T BOTHER!" Marv roared, "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING? DO YOU THINK THAT NO ONE WOULD NOTICE? ARE YOU RETAREDED? DID YOU THINK THAT I'M RETARDED? THAT YOUR MOTHER IS RETARDED? THAT ONE OF MY DEATH EATERS WOULDN'T POINT IT OUT TO ME?"

They gulped out of fear. Pila smirked at Leukos, who stifled a laugh.

I took advantage of Marv drawing in a breath and shouted, "YOU COULD HAVE HURT EACH OTHER SO BADLY! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED EACH OTHER!"

Marv added, "YOU COULD HAVE WRECKED THE CARS! YOU COULD HAVE DAMAGED THEM BEYOND RECOGNITION!"

Octavius glared at him and bitterly responded, "Why don't you care about us? You just care about your cars."

Marv glared back, "Don't challenge me, boy."

Octavius didn't say anything, but he didn't stop glaring at him, either.

Marv slowly stuck out his open right hand and growled, "Give me your wand."

Octavius sneered, "Am I grounded, _Daddy?_"

Marv backhanded him. Pila stepped in front of Leukos so that he wouldn't see anymore. I gasped and Marv bitterly said, "Don't talk to me like that. I am your father. I am the Dark Lord. Who are you?"

Octavius drew in a loud, angry breath and glared at Marv even harsher than before.

"You are my son. You are not better than me. I made you. I can make more of you. Behave or be reprimanded."

Octavius was silent, but he still roughly thrusted his wand into Marv's open hand.

"I'll decide your punishment later. Go to your room. Be ready at nine o'clock tomorrow. You're still going to Hogwarts with us tomorrow."

Octavius didn't say anything; he just angrily stomped away. Marv turned and looked at a scared Tibalt. He opened his hand again; Tibalt quickly plopped his wand onto Marv's open hand. "You'll be punished, too." Marv said, "Not as severely, but you know that racing is a bad idea."

Tibalt nodded his head up and down feverishly, "Yes, sir."

"Go to your room. You're still going, too."

Tibalt nodded and sprinted up to his angry older brother.

Marv walked up to Leo. Leo stood in place, shaking and trying to breath. Marv sighed and said, "Just go to your room, and don't get sucked into shit like this anymore. You can think, don't always listen to your brothers."

Leo squeaked out, "Okay," then he rushed away.

I sighed and stared at Marv as he turned around. "What?" He said and looked me over. I turned my head towards Pila and told her,

"Go to your room. Walk your brother back to his room, too."

"Okay, mom." She whispered and quickly took off while holding Leukos' hand.

"What?" Marv repeated, only this time with more bitterness.

I ran my hands through his hair, "I'm not going to try to scold you. I just think that Octavius had a point."

Marv sighed angrily.

"I don't think they feel very loved by you, that's all."

Marv snorted and rolled his eyes at me. "They're fine kids, but this was stupid—"

"That doesn't matter." I snapped at him, "They know you're proud of their accomplishments. You've established order in their lives and they know that your word is law. They know you have the final say and not to mess with you."

"And yet." Marv said and pointed to the two cars.

I crossed my arms against my chest, "You take them places, but I'd appreciate it if you spent some of your free time with them. Just so they know their father gives a rat's ass about their lives, not just what they do or don't do right."

Marv rolled his eyes and walked up to me. "I do what I can."

"I know," I whispered, "I'm not even going to shout about the backhand. I was hit as a child. I didn't like it, but it worked. I didn't make the same major mistake twice. Hell, my mom _still_ slaps me if I go way out of line."

He laughed at me.

"My point is that they don't feel like they have your affections, just your attention."

Marv wrapped his arms around me and whispered, "It's Christmas soon."

"I know," I sighed and immediately relaxed in his arms. I nuzzled my face into his bare chest and said, "I'm not asking you to change."

He laughed.

"I'm just asking you to make small efforts."

He laughed at me again before saying, "I'll spend time with them on Christmas and Christmas Eve."

"Thank you," I sighed, "You're usually gone by the afternoon."

"I know," he sighed, "but I've started to miss you."

I kissed his chest, "Your absence is noticed, too."

Marv drew in a deep breath and started to play with my curly hair. He grinned as I pulled away to look up at him.

"What?"

His grin widened as he told me, "You're not wearing a bra."

I scowled, "Yeah, it's called being comfortable in your pajamas."

He laughed at me.

I rolled my eyes and pushed myself away from him. I started to walk away from him, but he easily caught up with me. I didn't look at him, I just kept my eyes on the prize, the palace. Marv wrapped his right arm around my waist, but I shrugged it off. He sighed with irritation and then said,

"What's wrong with you?"

I immediately glared up at him, "What's wrong with _me?_ What's wrong with you!"

He grinned.

My glare became harsher, "I just want a relaxed night. I want to take a shower, and then I want to read."

"You want to read?" He sighed, "You read every night."

"Not every night."

Marv rolled his eyes, "Almost every night."

I started to walk much faster, "Then what do you suppose we do? That's not sexual."

Marv laughed at me and again, easily matched my pace. We walked in silence all the way to the patio before the sliding glass door; he wrapped his arms around me and spun me in a quick circle. I grabbed onto his elbows to not be flung to the ground. "What are you doing?"

"Dancing," he awkwardly smiled.

For whatever reason, my bitterness melted. I relaxed into his chest and let him lead our light swaying and the occasional twirls. He twirled me away from the patio and back inside of the house. He magically shut the door and swayed us into the corridor. I giggled as he picked me up and twirled me onto the stairs. We awkwardly twirled on the stairs and up to our room. I let go of him once we reached our room; I giggled and blushed while he closed the door and turned on the light. I sighed, couldn't wipe the smile off of my face, and then walked into the bathroom. I took a quick rinse off shower, magically dried off afterwards, and slipped into my wool onsie. Marv laughed at me when I walked out.

"What's so funny?" I asked and raised my right brow.

"Your pajama." He laughed, "I didn't know adult sized one piece, footie pajamas could be purchased."

"For your information," I playfully sneered and buttoned the rest of the front of my onsie, "I made this. But they can be purchased."

Marv sat up and pressed his back comfortably against the headboard. Our thick, winter sheets were pulled up to his waist and uncaringly tucked in around his hips. He looked me up and down and said, "Well, it looks warm."

"Good, since cute wasn't what I was going for."

"I didn't say anything about cute." He grinned.

I rolled my eyes, walked over to my side of the bed, and picked up _Catch-22_ from the top of my nightstand. I made myself comfortable against the headboard, too, and opened up to the page that I left off from two nights ago. Marv turned his head to the left and stared at me while I read. I did my best to not look at him, but then I felt Nagini slither around the room. Felt? Yes. I know where that snake is all the time. I immediately turned my head to the right to find her crawling onto the foot of the bed. Marv reached his hand out; she slithered towards him, so he stroked the top of her head. I cringed; I still don't like that demon in scales.

Marv grinned at me again, "My palace, my rules."

I rolled my eyes, "I hate snakes."

"All snakes?"

"Don't start with me."

He half snorted, half laughed at me, but then he said, "Don't take a tone with me."

Seventeen years have passed, but he's still a dickwad. I was going to say something to him, but then he focused on a small noise in the background. "What is that?" He whispered to me, as if to not disturb the noise.

"I don't know," I shrugged, but strained my ears to hear what he was hearing. The soft sound of music was coming from across the hallway, more than likely from Rastus' room. Voldemort angrily sighed,

"Can we get _one_ night of peace and quiet?"

I laughed at him.

"What?" He looked at me, "What?"

"_You_, the Dark Lord, want peace—"

"I want quiet."

I smirked, but he dismissed it. He hissed at Nagini; she immediately slithered off of him and under the bed. I shivered, stepped off the bed, and walked to Rastus' room with Marv close behind. I knocked, but he didn't hear me, so I quietly and carefully peered in. The volume of his music almost deafened me on the spot, but I did my best to not let it phase me. Voldemort was going to shout, but I pressed my left index finger against his cool lips, signaling to him to be quiet. I gradually lowered the volume of Rastus' music magically; he turned and rushed out an apology.

I saw that he was at his desk, writing a letter, so I asked him, "To whom are you writing?"

He grinned and blushed, "No one you know."

Voldemort smirked, "Konstantine?"

I turned my head and glared at Voldemort, "You let him talk to _her?_"

Voldemort laughed, "He's legally a man—"

"Argh!" I groaned and then looked back at Rastus, "I won't pry at your private life. Just make sure your door is closed all the way when you want to play loud music, otherwise it'll bother your baba."

"Baba?" Marv whispered.

Rastus and I rolled our eyes at the same time while I said, "It's Greek for father."

Voldemort rolled his eyes, "I know enough languages—"

"English, Parsletongue, and what else?"

He glared at me, "German. Dutch."

I shook my head lightly from left to right, "I've taught all of the kids Greek. And Spanish. And Italian. And—"

"I don't care," he snapped, "I just want my palace quiet for _five_ minutes."

Rastus grinned and refrained from saying a smart aleck comment.

I sighed and then said, "Fine. I'll close the door behind us."

Marv nodded and walked back to our bedroom. I said goodnight to Rastus and then securely closed his bedroom door behind me. When Marv and I wandered back into our room, we immediately noticed Leo's small body sitting down on the middle of our bed. Marv ran his hands through his hair and then shook his head from left to right while I asked Leo, "What's wrong?"

He gulped and then whispered, "I had a nightmare."

"Oh, honey," I said melodically and walked over to my bed. He snuggled against me while I made myself comfortable in my spot, but then crawled into my lap when he saw that I was sitting up. I raised my right hand so that his favorite book so far, _A Wrinkle in Time_, would fly into my hand from a small shelf near the balcony window. I kissed the top of his head while he drew the covers up to his shoulders and used my boobs as a pillow for the back of his head. Marv sighed and then got comfortable on his side of the bed. He magically turned off the lights, so I used light from my wand to read. Voldemort slept on his left side and sleepily stared at me while I read to our son, who quickly drifted to sleep, but almost immediately started to shake and cry out. I woke him up, kissed his head again, and then said, "It's alright, honey, mommy and daddy are here."

Leo sniffled.

I smiled to reassure him and then said, "I promise that nothing will hurt you, Leo. Nothing would dare cross your daddy."

Voldemort half snorted, half laughed, and Leo smiled weakly.

I put down the book on my nightstand along with my copy of _Catch-22_, and then I hugged my youngest son. He ended up lying down in between Marv and I; to both of our surprised, Marv spooned him in a protective fashion. I smiled at Marv and then laid down right next to Leo, hugging him as comfortably as possible. Marv whispered, "Nothing can or will hurt you, Leo."

Leo smiled and then cuddled into me. I smiled at Marv, whose face was rather expressionless. I massaged Leo's head with my left hand until he fell asleep. When he did fall asleep, I whispered to Marv, "Thank you for putting out an extra effort."

Marv rolled his eyes and cracked a small grin.

I drew in a deep breath before saying, "Are you taking Rastus to your Hogwarts meeting tomorrow?"

"Yes," he sighed sleepily, "You can come, too, if you want."

I smiled, "Sure."

Marv nodded.

I quickly fell asleep.

Leo slept peacefully.

**A/N: Please comment! I encourage all who read this to drop even the tiniest of thoughts in the review section. :)**

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**A/N: scara1: The kids go to Hogwarts, except Leo since he's only ten. And Rastus is in his seventh year since he's seventeen. But I did add an eighth year. :P**

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**A/N: Nyctic The guy from the Covenant isn't Tom Felton, but they looked like they could be cousins. I saw Shark Boy and Lava Girl when it came out. :)) All reviews are useful, but especially the long ones you leave me. I take a good two hours out of my day to sit down and write the chapters, especially if they're longer chapters. And I spend a lot of time thinking up the themes and plot lines of each chapter so it relates to the overall plot, you know? So it's nice when people take some time out of their day to write even, "I like this," or "You're doing really well; I like your place/plot/whatever." Even the "I hate you/this story" rant expresses an opinion I don't necessarily like, but hey, a review is a review. lawlz**


	17. Thunder

**Chapter Seventeen: Thunder**

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Marv had us leave at five in the morning. House elves packed all our necessities, and our desired clothing was packed by ourselves earlier in the week. We apparated directly into the Headmaster office, but we didn't linger. Rastus, Octavius, Pila, Tibalt and Leo went to their dorms; Leo is thirteen, but he looks like he's ten. He's a very emotional child, and he is a late developer. Marv frowns upon such, but he will grow into the man he is meant to be soon enough, until then, I have no problem giving him the extra attention he needs. Marv, Leukos, and I went to a large, suite like dorm. Leukos had his own room across the hallway from us, so once we got him settled into his room, Marv ushered me into our own quarters and didn't waste any time. Once I shut the door of the room, he wrapped his arm around my waist, spun me around to face him, and kissed me. I sighed against his lips, pulled away, and said,

"I'm tired, and I have to be ready in four hours. I want to sleep."

Marv smirked and whispered, "But you look so pretty."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm practically in rags."

"That's besides the point."

I gave him a harsh look. "What is the plan for today, anyway?"

Marv sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed closest to me. "At nine o'clock our official day starts."

"What will be doing?"

"Our family will be introduced at the front. We will be eating at a different table, a table behind and above the staff table."

I leaned against the wall behind me. "And then?"

Marv slowly relaxed onto his back. He slid his hands underneath his head and said, "We're only here for two days and one night, so today we're making sure everything is running according to plan. Tomorrow we will have our early Christmas feast."

I drew in a deep, pensive breath, "Christmas is in four days."

"I know."

"I've already bought and wrapped presents for the children—"

"Does Leukos still believe in Santa?"

I rolled my eyes, "He stopped two years ago when Octavius told him Santa wasn't real."

"Is that the Christmas he cried for an hour and hexed Octavius?"

I gave him a sarcastically stern look. "No."

A small grin tickled the corners of his lips and tugged them up. "Then we can put all the presents under the tree when we get back?"

"Yes. I didn't heave them all down yet."

"I know. There's a lot still in my closet."

I laughed, "Then I'll leave it up to you to put them under the tree."

He yawned, "Okay." He took his shirt off and slowly slid under the covers. He patted the side of the bed that's closest to me and said, "Lord Voldemort demands your presence."

I laughed and carefully took of my shoes. I slipped out of my plain green dress and back into my wool once piece. Marv watched me with a tired smirk while I climbed into bed next to him. He immediately wrapped an arm around my waist while sliding his left one under our large pillow. I sighed and then said, "You're in a good mood this morning."

He gently shrugged and yawned. "'Tis the season."

I giggled and dozed off.

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Octavius begrudgingly sat near Marv after the introduction and the short, but powerful lecture. I told Octavius to knock it off, but he didn't say anything. He shot his father a cold glance before sitting two seats away from him. I drew in a deep breath, sat down to Marv's left, and then whispered to him, "Octavius is still angry with you."

Marv placed his napkin on his lap while I did so, "I don't care."

"What a surprise."

He started eating his eggs.

"It won't be a very Merry Christmas if you two are just going to bitterly go back and forth."

"I don't have time to settle petty anger."

I drew in a deep breath while my jaw tense. I put my fork down, balancing it on the side of my plate, before slowly turning my head towards Marv. "What?"

Marv looked at me, but didn't stop eating. "What?"

"You… you don't have _time_?"

"That's right," he said between small mouthfuls of food, "I don't have time."

My left hand formed into a tight fist. "You don't have time for your own son? _Your_ first born?"

"I don't have time for his—"

"I don't care," I quietly snapped, "I don't have time for your petty excuse."

Marv glared at me, "Stop this while I'm still in a good mood."

"Stop what?" I responded, looked back down at my plate, and picked up my fork.

"What you're doing."

I started eating my eggs. I said between small mouthfuls, "I don't have time."

Marv quickly slid his left hand under the table, reached across my lap, and gripped my forearm with his fingertips. He pressed the tips of his fingers and blunt nails into my soft skin while half growling, half whispering, "Do not test me, especially here. I will punish you without a seconds hesitation."

I gulped down the little food in my mouth and accidentally let out a whimper while he tightened his grip, almost drawing blood. "Oh—okay."

Marv smiled again and slowly let go of me, "Good. Be on your best behavior, darling."

I drew in a deep breath, nodded, and silently went back to eating my breakfast. We ate quickly, but in complete silence. We waited for Marv to be done; he smirked at us before standing up, reciting another lecture, giving orders to members of the staff, and then walking off. Our children were allowed to do as they pleased as long as they were behaving. I, on the other hand, was to make sure that plans for the night's ball were running smoothly. I spent my morning making sure that the Great Hall was properly being decorated, and I spent my afternoon with the Orchestra, making sure that their songs sounded fantastic. I spent the later afternoon taking a rather short nap, and then I walked over to Leukos' room. I made sure he showered, dried off, and then dressed appropriately. I helped him with his small tux and told him to stay with Lincoln, a friendly house elf who was reorganizing his room.

I sighed and hunted down the rest of my children, making sure they were getting ready and were going to be in the right place at the right time. Apparently Octavius has a girlfriend, so she will be opening up the dance with us. She's a Ravenclaw Prefect with straight, long, auburn hair, very light olive skin, and dark brown eyes, almost the color of bark. She was nervous to meet me, mostly because I found them aimlessly walking through the castle. Octavius said almost nothing, but that was fine. She was quiet, but she was polite, and I could tell she has a kind nature.

I found Tibalt and Leo playing Wizard's chess together in the library; I told them to go take a shower and get dressed in their tuxes as well. They finished up their game and quickly followed my instructions. I also told them that if they wanted to ask a girl to dance with them for the opening waltz, then to do so before the ball started. Tibalt smirked and nodded while Leo blushed, mumbled an okay, and quickly walked away. I sighed with a smile and continued my tracking down. I strolled up to the Gryffindor Tower; the Fat Lady let me in before I even opened my mouth to say the password. Everyone in the common room immediately stopped talking; they stared at me in quiet awe while I walked up the staircase to the boy dormitories. I gently wrapped my knuckles against the door of Rastus' dorm. I smirked, said loud enough for him to hear me, "I hope you're not naked or having sex," and walked in. He was flustered, to say the least, and I too became embarrassed.

He was sitting on his bed with his knees near his chest. Someone was in the shower; the bathroom door was open, allowing the steam to slowly seep into the dorm. Rastus' hair was in a rather disheveled state, and he was only in scarlet red boxers. The melodic voice of a young woman's song was quiet, but filled the room nonetheless. Rastus stared at me with wide, terrified eyes. "Ma-mom, what are you doing in here?"

I laughed, "What are you doing?"

The sound of the shower stopped.

Rastus gulped, grabbed a pillow from behind him, and then laid it on top of his lap. I took a step back and pretended that I didn't know what he was trying to cover up. "I'll leave, okay? But the ball is in a little over two hours, and you need to be ready—"

"Oh Rastus," The previously singing girl called from the bathroom. Rastus and I instinctively looked over to the bathroom door. The girl was barely covered by a golden colored towel; her black hair was very short, but extremely kinky and surprisingly shinny. Her skin shared a tone with mocha, but her features showed that she was more than likely biracial. She's probably around five foot five, but she's very curvaceous, and still pretty wet from her shower. Her medium, almond shaped, brown, maybe even deep caramel colored eyes, were focused on my son. He gulped while a worried looked covered her face. Her eyes flickered up to me.

"I'm Neema, Rastus' mom."

She opened her mouth and tried to talk, but a small squawk like gasp came out instead.

I laughed, "I'm not judging you, so don't worrying. I'm just as embarrassed."

Her full lips relaxed into a small smile. "Oh—okay."

I looked at my blushing son, "Get ready for tonight. I expect you two to dance for the opening waltz."

Rastus gulped and nodded.

"I'll ask you questions later. The next two hours are yours."

Rastus grinned, "Thanks."

I laughed and left the room. I magically locked it behind me, then I made my way down the stairs and up to the girl dormitories. I knocked on Pila's door, but this time, I waited for an answer. She opened the door and led me in. I looked at the posters on her wall while telling her to get ready, and that Andante should dance with her for the opening waltz. She nodded, but then whispered, "Mom?"

I sat down on the foot of her four-poster bed. "Yes?"

She crossed her arms across her chest and tightly hugged herself, "Could you help me get ready? I know you're busy and all, but—"

"Shush," I said and got up, "I always have time for my kids."

She smiled.

I told her to take a shower; once she was out, dried, and dressed in her under garments, I carefully did her hair in an up do that gave her a sense of freedom and took weight and heat off of her neck, but also showed off her gorgeous curls. She did her best not to giggle from the feeling of me rubbing in primer and foundation to her face and neck. I took a good hour in her make-up before I decided that I was completely done and allowed her to look herself over. She was immediately happy, so I placed a make-up protection charm on her and helped her into her brown dress. The top of her dress is like a tube top, but it has been studded with diamonds. The back of the dress has strips of fabric criss-crossing against her with the outer part of the fabric, the part that faces the public, is studded with diamonds, too. The front of the dress supports her bust and emphasizes her curvy shape. Where the corset like top meets the gathered fabric of the rest of the dress, which ends just a little past her knees, has diamonds embroidered into the swirls that trail down the gathered parts of her dress.

Pila slipped into her golden, three inch heels and then nervously looked at me. I bit the inside of my bottom lip and fought back tears; this must have been what my father felt the night we had dinner with the Malfoy's so many years ago. My daughter is growing up, and she is growing into a gorgeous and intelligent woman. Then a terrible thought hit me; I, like my father, cannot fully protect my daughter. I know Marv is fully capable of protecting her, but I don't know if he has the slightest inclination to do such.

I shook my head and rasped out, "You're beautiful, Pila."

She smiled, "Thanks."

I walked over and hugged her tightly, "Be careful tonight. I'm going to go get ready." I kissed her on the forehead and said, "I love you."

Her smile grew, "I love you too, momma."

I nodded and left. A young man in his best robe over his ball suite was waiting in the common room with a group of other athletic young man. A few did not immediately recognize me, so they looked me over. I scanned their group and saw a tall, very good looking, black boy with a brown tie the same shade of Pila's dress. I flashed him a knowing smile; he nodded somewhat nervously at me and watched as I left the Gryffindor Tower. I rushed back to my room and hurriedly undressed while inside. I washed my hair while magically washing the rest of my body. I magically dried off while doing my own make-up. I put the same charm on me for my make-up, and then carefully did my curly hair in the style of partially up, pin-up girl hair that Marv likes. Marv walked into the room while I walked over to our closet. He whistled and shut the door while I opened the closet doors. I looked at him over my shoulder and said, "Will you please help me into my dress?"

"Yes," he said and walked over to me.

I took my dress out of its plastic covering and off of its hanger. I unzipped the back and then handed it to Marv. He held it open and close to the floor while I stepped in, and then brought it over my body, his midnight blue eyes slowly scanning my fit, still youthful body. I held it up while he walked behind me and zipped it up. I adjusted my breasts and then walked over to my mirror. My dress is a deep shade of gold and tight against my body. It too, is a tube top, but my dress doesn't have a gap to show off my back. However, the front and back pieces of the top resemble a diamond shape, which shows off my toned, tanned sides. Small rubies are embroidered into my dress, creating magnificent art within the thread of the top layer of golden fabric. The fabric of the dress after the diamond shaped top of the dress is gathered the tiniest bit, but not for any visual effect past emphasizing my hips and large backside. I walked over to my ruby red, four-inch heels and stepped into them with caution, careful not to lose my balance or otherwise hurt myself. Marv let out a wolf-whistle, so I looked at him and wiggled my brows at him. He laughed and walked over to me; he wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me slowly. I sighed against his lips, pulled away, gave him a quick kiss, and then smiled at him. He gently wrapped my ruby red shall around my shoulders and tehn said,

"You look divine."

I blushed, "Thank you, my Lord."

Marv smirked crookedly, making my smile grow, "Thank you, my Lady." He then put on his royal robe dedicated for balls, slid his left arm around my waist, and walked us out of the room. We met our children in the Headmaster Office; Rastus was there with the beautiful girl from earlier, Octavius with his girlfriend, and Pila was there with Andante. Tibalt had a blonde girl from Slytherin with him, and Leo had a girl probably from second year with him. Leukos was there with a slow developing girl from first year, making them look just about the same age. Marv looked at Rastus' date and said, "Who are you."

She gulped and then said, "My name is Eva, my Lord."

He nodded and then looked at Octavius' date, "And you?"

"Melanie, my Lord."

Marv looked at Pila's date and then looked at her with a raised, curious brow. He shifted his gaze back to the boy and immediately asked, "How old are you?"

"Fifteen, sir. I'll be sixteen in February."

"And your name?"

"Andante Sullivan."

"Ah what?"

I flashed Marv a cold look; he will not ruin my daughter's happiness. He will not take away the young boy she loves.

Andante gulped, "Andante, sir."

"Say it phonetically for me."

"Au-don-tay."

Marv said it one more time, but only once was necessary for him to get it right. He quickly shifted his attention to the two young girls with Leo and Leukos, who immediately introduced themselves. Tibalt quietly cleared his throat; Marv looked at him then to the thin blonde girl with him. "Your name."

"Christine, my Lord."

He nodded at her, saw her Slytherin green dress, and then grinned at Tibalt, who grinned back. Marv then led us out and to the Great Hall. Everyone immediately stood up when we entered and then bowed at his or her waists or curtsied. The orchestra started up quietly and gradually, but quickly transitioned into a melodic waltz. Marv took me by the hand and led me to the middle of the marble floor. He wrapped one arm around my waist and used his other hand to hold the hand I didn't place on top of his shoulder. Rastus and Eva joined us first, then Octavius and Melanie, and then Pila and Andante. Tibalt and his date soon followed, then so did Leo and Leukos with their dates. It didn't take too long after them for members of the staff to join in, and then the students. To be completely honest, the ball was running perfectly, until a group of outlaws magically blasted through a wall and crudely stumbled in.

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**A/N: Please review!**

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**A/N: Nyctic: I know I already sent you a message, and we had a fun conversation, but you turned off your private messaging feature before I could send my latest reply. . Anyway, I just want to say here that Voldemort = insanity. He's a father now, at least here, haha, so he needs some emotion. However, he is insane, and really heartless, so I imagine him going back and forth with how he treats and sees them.**

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**A/N: Scara1: Of course I'm excited for Christmas! hahahaha. Yeah, I'll be doing a Christmas chapter.**

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**A/N: BelisariusPotter: Your reviews are amazing! Thank you so much for them! First off, the _My Derailmen_t reply: Wow! What a compliment! I'm glad that my work had persuaded you to join this site, and I'm flattered that my fanfic was the fanfic that changed your mind about fanfics. **

**"I thought you captured the emotions of an abused and cornered young woman well and her confusion and frustration at being unable to leave a horrible situation were believable."**

**Absolute music to my ears. That was my goal in _My Derailment_, and I'm ecstatic to hear that my efforts prevailed. It was especially nice to hear since I received a review basically calling me disgusting for the whole rape scene. Rape is a terrible, medieval like crime, and I needed to get that through. I've read so many works that the rape is gentle and the woman is immediately fine afterwards, and that's not what rape is. At all. Again, thank you for your wonderful review.**

**Now, for your review for _God Called in Sick Today_:**

**Another great review. I didn't think that there could be much said about the happy ending, except what kind of man and father Draco would be, which, honestly, doesn't sound too interesting. Neema and Voldemort's character seemed much more interesting, and has proven to be a lot of fun to write. Also, Neema's situation will get better. I promise. :)**


	18. Colly Strings

**Chapter Eighteen: Colly Strings**

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Marv stopped dancing with me so that he could laugh. He eyed the small group and then smirked. "Good evening."

A short, rather chubby man said, "Good evening, Tom."

Marv chuckled, distracting everyone from his wandless killing curse; the man dropped to the floor at the end of Marv's chuckle, leaving everyone in the Great Hall stunned. He licked his lips, sighed, and then said, "I hope that wasn't your leader."

An equally as short woman laughed and then said, "We have no leader."

I rolled my eyes, "Then you have no order."

Marv looked at me and smiled.

I smiled and then laughed at the small group. Their small, nervous smiles showed their fear and regret. I asked while a few exchanged worried looks, "Didn't think this out much, did you?"

A tall, pale man said, "There isn't much to think over."

Marv laughed, the sound of its cold pitch freezing all in the room. "What were you going to do then? Kill me on the spot and then flee? Expect the praise of the muggles that are still confused?"

No one had the chance to say anything before the sound of my daughter's laughter filled the air. "He's immortal, what were you going to do?"

A sickening smirk spread across the pale mans face as he shot glances at the other five members of the group of outlaws. He looked back at Marv and said, "You are immortal. Your wife is immortal."

My eyes widened to an impossible size.

"Your children are not."

No thoughts or feelings went through my body. Out of pure motherly instinct, I wiped my wand out and blew the man into the wall, "YOU WILL LEAVE MY CHILDREN OUT OF YOUR PLANS!"

The short woman smirked, "We have no plans."

Another short woman added, "For we have no order."

The pale man chuckled and took a step forward, "We do as we please."

Marv screeched; the two women dropped dead the moment he raised his wand. One of the remaining men ran off, but Marv was able to kill him anyway. The pale man gulped while turning his head to the left to make eye contact with an equally pale and tall woman. The both drew in deep breaths, pointed their wands at two different children of mine, and then smirked.

I screamed out of terror and hate; my dress became confetti as my body morphed. I jumped into the air while a powerful roar ripped out of my chest and into the air. The two outlaws stared at my Siberian Tiger body. I didn't give them time to think; I pounced the pale woman, bit off her wand hand, stepped on her wand, causing it to break in half, and then sunk my teeth into her neck. I'm not sure if she's dead or is bleeding out now, but that's not my current concern. I assumed a pounce position and snarled at the pale man. He gulped, but lifted his wand to my terrified daughter, anyway. And to everyone's surprise, it was Andante who blew the man back, which disarmed him of his wand.

Marv saw his chance and took it; he crucioed the outlaw. When he was done I bit into him and clawed at his body, but we let him crawl away to tell any remaining outlaws of his defeat. Marv magically cleaned me up, fixed my dress, and magically put it back on me. House elves hurriedly cleaned up the mess while a few staff members fixed the wall. Everyone was too shocked to do anything but gape, so the ball ended early. Marv pointed his wand to his throat and said for all in the castle to hear,

"To all those that wish to bring down this empire, to threaten the world I have created for you to enjoy, to threaten myself, my wife, or my children, may that have been a lesson to you. My defeat is as probable as the sun birthing a smaller sun in order to warm up Pluto."

I grinned and walked up to him. He took my left hand in his right and continued, "This way of life is the best option for us Magical Peoples. To try and plot my demise is to turn over your brothers and sisters to Death. To wish my downfall is to wish for anarchy and instability in all aspects of modern survival."

I gulped and squeezed his hand again.

A proud smirk found its way upon his face. "Now go back to your quarters. Write to your families of what you witnessed. Tell them how Voldemort gains strength and wisdom every moment. Tell them how you have nothing to fear under my government."

Almost in complete unison, everyone nodded and left the Great Ball except for our children and their significant others. Andante held my startled, quietly crying daughter tightly in his arms and whispered into her right ear while the other children flocked over to us. Marv gave them instructions on how to respond to general comments and questions. They are still to leave with us tomorrow afternoon, but for the time being, are to spend time with their peers. They left the Great Hall, but Andante and Pila stayed. Marv cleared his throat while I smiled at them. They both looked over at him.

Marv eyed Andante and said, "You showed quite the skill and bravery, tonight."

Andante drew in a deep breath before replying, "Such is my responsibility, sir. I would never let anyone or thing harm your wonderful daughter."

Pila smiled shyly and squeezed him; she snuggled into his chest while Marv said, "That is true; you are obligated to be the protector of my daughter for as long as your relationship lasts. However, it takes skill to disarm a full grown wizard who is about to strike."

Andante gulped, "Thank you, sir."

Marv nodded and then walked over to them. Pila took a step back from Andante while Marv held out his right hand to Andante. Andante obviously understood that a handshake is quite an honor, so he wasted no time in opening his right hand. They shook hands while Marv looked him over without any expression. "Will you be coming home with us tomorrow?"

Andante understood that it wasn't a question as much as it was a test. "I do not want to intrude in your private life, sir, but if you desire my presence, I am more than happy and willing to accompany your family home."

Marv smirked approvingly and let go of Andante's hand, "Go pack your things."

Andante nodded, "Yes, sir."

Pila excitedly walked out of the Great Hall with Andante while I walked up to Marv. I laughed and smiled.

He looked at me, "What?"

"You've never done that before."

"I've never done what before?"

I laughed again, "Kill several people and torture another in front of a large group of people, and then invite someone into our home."

"I've done those things before."

"Not all in the same thirty minutes."

Marv's facial expression showed his amusement. "I need to know if that young man is truly trustworthy."

I sighed, "He just risked his life and focused all his being into protecting our only daughter. How much more proof do you need?"

Marv sighed.

I suppose I shouldn't complain or in anyway discourage him; he's finally acting fatherly, which is something surprisingly wonderful. I closed the distance between us and hugged him tightly. I rested my head on his left shoulder and gazed up at him. His black hair is combed into the pre-pompadour days of his youth, his skin is pale but clear, and his eyes have decided to be midnight blue tonight. His long, strong fingers tapped against my exposed side, and his left arm wrapped tightly around me.

"It has become painfully apparent that these children don't much like me."

I giggled and kissed his neck.

He raised a brow.

I sighed and smiled into his flesh. "So you're inserting yourself into their lives?"

Marv huffed and rolled his eyes, "After a long talk with a few of my Death Eaters, I have figured out how to make sure that they know I am their father."

I fought rolling my eyes and kissed his neck again. "I'm glad. They've been needing you in their lives."

He squeezed me and then kissed the top of my head. He smirked down at me and said, "You know, I effortlessly killed several people tonight."

I laughed from the absurdity of his tone and statement combined with his half sleazy, half devious smirk. "Yes, I am aware."

His smirk turned into a grin, "Quite the show of my power, wouldn't you say?"

I sighed, "I am not in the mood."

He squeezed my exposed sides with both of his hands, "Are you sure?"

I nodded.

His fingertips immediately dug themselves into my flesh while his tone became more aggressive and rather angry, "Are you positive?"

I gulped, "No."

He kept his fingertips in my sides for a minute before he smirked again and went back to just squeezing me. "I thought so."

I drew in a deep, but quiet, breath.

He kissed my forehead and winked, "I have to speak with Snape. Why don't you go back to our quarters and get ready for me?"

I gulped and softly replied, "Okay."

He smirked, drew in a deep, proud breath, and let go of me. He slid his hands into his front pockets, wiggled his brows while looking me over, and then walked out of the Great Hall. I sighed and sat down at a near by table. I buried my face in my hands and sighed. He was being nicer than usual today, but that doesn't mean he's a nice guy. Why was I bothering with hoping for this change to be permanent? He's an evil, vile, monster thing wrapped up in a pretty package. He has epitomized soulless and cruel and abusive and—

"Are you okay?"

I jerked my head up and out of my hands to find Rastus sitting across from me.

I sighed and said, "Your step father upsets me."

"Is this something new?"

I laughed and rolled my eyes, "Smart ass."

"Better than a dumb ass."

"Not always."

Rastus laughed.

I stood up and said, "You should go back to the Gryffindor Tower. I need to get back to my quarters."

Rastus drew in a deep, upset breath. "I hate what he does to you. I hate how he treats you. I hate how he makes you treat yourself."

I apparated next to him and hugged him. "You're a wonderful son. I love you."

He hugged me back, "I love you, too."

I let go of him and stood up. "I'm going to go. You should get going, too. Go be with Eva."

Rastus smiled, happily sighed, and said, "Ok." We walked out of the Great Hall together; he went up the staircase to get to the Gryffindor Tower and I walked down a staircase to get to my quarters. I checked up on Leukos to make sure he was ok, and then I went across the hall to Marv's and my room. I took a shower, but left my hair and make-up alone; I carefully got out of my dress and hanged it up and then slid the matching heels underneath. I then walked over to a few other pairs of heels and slipped my feet into a pair of four inch red pumps. I carefully dressed myself in an incredibility complicated piece of lingerie Marv bought for me earlier in the week to wear during our trip to Hogwarts.

I redid my hair, but then I decided to put it up in a messy bun just as he entered the room. He wrapped his arms around me from behind and kissed all over my neck before whispering into my right ear, "You look so hot."

I smirked up at him, "Because I am."

He smirked back down at me and then let go of me. He sat down on the middle of the foot of the bed and took off his robe and suit jacket. He looked me over, licked his lips, and then said, "Show your Lord gratitude."

I slowly walked up to him, swinging my hips the whole way, and then straddled his laps. He ran his hands up and down my sides while I unbuttoned his shirt. I slowly lowered him down and against the bed in order to strip him down to his silk boxers. He slid his hands behind his head and grinned down at me.

Oh how I hate him.

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**A/N: Please review! Review and I'll start up the next chapter exactly where this one ends. ;)

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**A/N - scara1: **There needs to be some comedic relief in the midst of his cruelty, right? :)**

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**A/N - BelisariusPotter: **Marv was a creation from staying up late and trying to figure out something that wasn't so creepy. I can't use 'Tom' because he wouldn't tolerate that. There wouldn't be a point to 'Voldemort' if you can just refer to him as Tom, right? So... Marvalo...No, Marv sounds tolerable for him and something not creepy for her. And the mood swings seem appropriate for his unstable mentality; I'm glad you find them interesting. Also, I don't know when I'll update 'Labeled as Freaks...' so I'll respond here and now: Thank you. I'm actually putting together ideas and characters and etc... for a book I have an idea for in my spare time. When I finally finish it and get it published, hopefully you'll see it on a noticeable shelf. :)**

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**A/N - Spark10111: **Thanks for the review! This update is short, but at least it's an update.**

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**A/N - freeasair: **Hopefully you're caught up now. :)**

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**A/N - Nyctic: **I did miss you a bit, but I was sure that you didn't abandon the story half way through. hahaha. I'm glad you fixed up your alerts; I hate when my alerts suddenly reset themselves, too. Especially on my phone. His embarrassing of Pila and her boyfriend was a father like thing to do, and to fight about kids is normal too, but since he injured her free arm under the table and wrote off his kid's problem, I think he was a bit cold in the morning scene. Either way, he's changing a bit.


	19. Boys Around Here

**Chapter Nineteen: Boys Around Here

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I looked back down at his body and slowly kissed my way to his growing erection. I slipped my fingertips under the elastic of his boxers and slid them off of his body; I winked up at him and smirked when I brushed against his tent through the thin fabric of his boxers. He sighed before smirking back down at me and saying, "I'm not in the mood for foreplay."

I nodded my head and then straddled him.

He raised his right brow.

"If you're not in the mood for foreplay, then we can just skip the blow job." I pressed my lips against his before he could protest, which immediately brought him into a kissing frenzy. He basically ripped the lace away until my garment was in pieces tossed into different parts of the room.

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**(I'm sorry, I don't feel like writing a lemon at the moment.)**

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"Andante looks awfully nervous," Marv whispered to me while mentally checking off our children's attendance.

"He's going to be spending time with the Dark Lord, why wouldn't he be nervous?"

Marv grinned and then made our kids and their significant others get into a circle. We apparated into the first floor living room; Marv told everyone where they were to sleep, and then had house elves put their things away. Marv walked off to his study; I also excused myself. I walked silently around the palace, each step making me feel sicker and sicker for no reason. I stopped in a random bedroom that has never been claimed; I opened up balcony window and stood against the railing.

A light sprinkle started, but the sun was still out, so the suns warm rays and the cool raindrops canceled each other, leaving me feeling just as odd as before. I looked to the right to watch the breeze rustle the leaves on the near by trees and caught a glimpse into Pila's room. Andante was talking with her while she put away her fresh laundry. A smile dominated my lips at the sight of my daughter's happiness. Then a terrible pang erupted in my chest; would Marv kill the men she loves? He knows no real love. He knows he likes to touch me, he knows he likes to twist my body and cloud my mind. I have no real value to him, and yet he killed the one person I ever felt real and true love for. I know he _could_ do that to Pila, but _would_ he?

Andante stood up and held Pila close to him. She looked like she giggled while he spun her around for no real reason but to make her smile.

I want to be in love.

I'm not jealous of Pila, and even though I hate her father, I'm glad I have her. I love my children, but I wish I never met their father. Does that make me selfish? Does that make me a terrible person? I wouldn't trade my children for anything. I love them all, but I do wish Draco were their father instead of Marv. I wish I could have them, just not who fathered them.

I turned away – I have no right to intrude in their private moment – and I could have sworn I saw Draco. I gasped and then blinked much harder tha necessary. When I opened my eyes he was gone, visibly anyway. I know he's always around, always with me. I'm never truly alone, he's never really gone; that only reinforces my feelings of selfishness now. Women become widows every day, what right do I have to keep Draco tied down onto the Earth? What makes me so special that he walks the Earth instead of his fair share of Heaven?

An overly hot ray of sunlight suddenly irritated my left arm. My whole body rapidly became warm while the sweet voice I haven't heard in almost seventeen years softly danced into my ears, "Go lie down, close your eyes, and trust me."

I gasped and drew in a deep, happily shocked breath. I couldn't see him, but that didn't matter. I sprinted and then jumped onto the bed. I laid down on my back and closed my eyes just in time to feel a blanket of comfortable heat envelope me.

I was brought to consciousness by a little wave splashing my face. I gasped for air, but got a mouthful of salt water. I sat up straight, spit the water out, and then fumbled around for a few minutes until I finally got onto the shore. I looked to the left and saw a chuckling Draco; I tackled him and laughed while flipping my wet hair back. He laughed and held me tightly to his chest. I laughed and cried while kissing all over his face and neck.

"I've been missing you." I whispered and looked into his blue-grey eyes.

Draco kissed my forehead and softly replied, "I know, and I've been missing you, too."

I sat up and ran my hands up and down his arms after he placed his hands on my hips. I gulped and suppressed a few tears, "I don't know what I'm doing with my life. I'm afraid I'm going to be immortal and his forever."

Draco shook his head and whispered, "Don't be afraid, you're with me."

I shook my head and rasped out, "I'm not afraid of—"

Draco slowly rose up, forcing me to slide off of him. He held my hands tightly and said, "I'm always with you, regardless if you see or feel me, I'm always around."

I kissed him gently.

He smiled, "You'll soon find that your life will have a greater purpose than just a day by day schedule or feeling like the walking womb for Voldemort's wishes."

I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck. I kissed him a few times before saying, "I love you."

He smiled and stole a kiss, "I love you, too."

I snuggled against him.

He held me close to him with his left arm while running his right hand through my hair. "Don't worry about anything, because everything will fall into its proper place."

"I'm not afraid about things _not_ falling into their proper places," I sighed, "I'm afraid that I won't agree with what those proper places are."

Draco laughed and then said, "I'd tell you if something terrible was going to happen."

I smiled and rested my weight against him. "I know you would."

He kissed the top of my head and breathed in the scent of my hair, "Then you have nothing to worry about."

"And yet I'm still plagued with concerns."

"Brush them away," He said as I started to play with the white sand, "they're just distractions to your happiness."

I laughed, "Happiness? I live in terror!"

He kissed the top of my head again, "You have good days."

I stayed silent.

"Voldemort is terrible and he frightens you, but your children love you, and you love them."

"That's true," I whispered.

He squeezed me lovingly, "At least you can live in luxury. It'd be worse to not only live in fear, but in poverty."

I laughed and playfully shoved him.

He playfully shoved me back.

A sand fight soon followed; we tossed balls of sand at each other for a while, but then ended up playfully wrestling like we did back in sixth year. And I didn't cry. For the first time the memories of the past brought me happiness instead of a fought off feeling of despair. Draco's happy smirk was in my vision instead of my memories, and his amused laugh filled the air around me. We played around and kissed a few times before he scooped me into his arms and said, "Look at the water."

I sighed and did so; it had a grayish tint to it.

He kissed my neck and then whispered into my ear, "I have to return you now."

"No," I whined and then sighed, "I don't want to go back yet."

He whispered, "You have to."

I looked around and then said, "But we didn't even get to take a walk in that meadow over there yet." I pointed to the endless rows of lavender and tulips.

"Next time," Draco stole another kiss, "We'll walk there next time."

I gulped and then rasped out, "I don't want to have to wait another seventeen years."

Draco smiled, but he looked pained by my comment, "You won't have to, I promise."

I kissed him softly and slowly. When I pulled away he looked at me with dazed, but happy eyes.

He smiled and then said, "If I walk into the water with you, would you be more willing to return?"

I nodded.

He stood up, pulling me up with him. We walked hand in hand to the significantly colder sea. He turned to me, held me tightly against his chest, and then told me to take a deep breath. I nodded and drew in a deep breath; as soon as I did he dove to the side, bringing us seven or so feet from the surface. I didn't fight him or try to reach the top; I closed my eyes and held him as tightly as possible.

I awoke with a jolt as Marv walked into the room I found by chance. He looked annoyed as he said: "I've been calling for you for a good twenty minutes now."

I sat up and ran my hands through my hair; my mouth tasted like sea salt and my skin stole the smell of the beach, "I'm sorry, my Lord, I was in a deep sleep."

He raised and lowered his brows quickly before bitterly replying, "That I have no doubt. Hurry up and get into the shower. Dinner is in an hour."

I stood up and walked over to him. I lazily wrapped my arms around his upper body and rested my head against his chest, "I'm sorry I've annoyed you, my Lord."

He smelt my hair and then whispered, "Your hair smells like sand."

"I'll go wash it."

"No," he rushed out and then whispered, "Don't, I like the scent."

I nodded and then took a step back from him. With quite a bit of effort, I smiled up at him and said, "Ok." I quietly gulped and then placed a soft kiss upon his cool lips. The corners of his lips twitched while I walked back to our room for my shower.

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**A/N: I'm sorry it took so long for me to update, and a short update at that. I have AP tests and the SAT test coming up, plus I've been swamped with school work in general. I'm hoping to be able to update more frequently, but be warned, they may be short updates like this.

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**A/N: scara1: **IDOWHATIWANT. lolol

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**A/N: Nyctic**: I think Marv hurting them is what keeps them so close to Neema. My father is a piece of shit, and as much as that has hurt me, it has definitely contributed to the close and great relationship I have with my mother. I do believe there will be some roughhousing and accidental mistreatment in upcoming chapters, though...

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**A/N: :** I'm so glad to see your reviews again! I'm glad you like this story, too. I recently received a flame on "My Derailment,' but hey, haters gon' hate. Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. You probably won't see this response for a while since your last review was on chapter five, but then again it's been more than a month since my last update, so hey, you might see this within five minutes of me posting.


	20. The Time Between

**Chapter Twenty: **

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I sat on my side of the bed and stared over at the bathroom. Marv walked in, but I ignored him, even as he sat down right next to me, joining in my bathroom stare. We lived separate for either a few seconds or a few minutes; time with Marv is either blurred or drawn out, never clear.

He cleared his throat.

I looked at him.

"I sent the kids out to dinner."

"Are we still eating?"

He grinned, "Yes, but I don't feel like changing. It's just us."

I playfully smirked, "Am I not worth dressing up for?"

He smirked back at me and drew in a deep breath. He looked back at the bathroom before saying, "I'm exhausted."

I nodded and quietly added, "Me too. I wish I could pause time so I could sleep for days without really missing anything."

He chuckled at me and then said, "There are always time turners."

I yawned, "It's not the same."

He nodded.

His profile, for just a minute, looked like Draco's.

But it wasn't the same. It'll never be the same. Even with polyjuice potion, it could never be the same. This life will not provide me my real true love again. I had him and I lost him. And the whole world has to suffer for it, for I was weak when the world needed someone strong. I was grieving while the world thought it would flourish. I was cold while the world was burning. And now the world is dead.

But I am alive.

Very, very alive.

My kids are growing up. I can't do much now, but I will bring life back.

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**A/N: Sorry this took so long! I originally wrote this chapter much longer, but it was mostly fluff and filler and just pushing the story to another chapter. I figured a shorter chapter, but one with a lot of meaning would be best. It's almost midnight, so I'll reply to the reviews/comments in chapter twenty one.**


	21. Time Tells

**Chapter Twenty-One: Time Tells**

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We ended up going to a diner. I'm not surprised we went into public. The world is dominated by witches and wizards, but still, a diner? The Dark Lord Voldemort, the most powerful man on the planet, wants to eat at a diner?

He handed our menus to the waitress. Once she slipped them under her left arm he said, "I want the club sandwich with french-fries."

They both looked at me, so I said, "I want chicken strips and mashed potatoes."

Marv chuckled.

"What?"

"Nothing."

I leaned closer to him, "_Whaaaat?_"

He laughed at me and relaxed against the booth seat. The waitress walked away as Marv folded his arms behind his head and smirked at me. "Leukos eats that. It's a child's meal."

I rolled my eyes, sighed, and rested against the booth seat. I folded my arms across my chest and said, "Did you bring me out to mock me publicly? The home abuse isn't enough?"

He glared at me and practically growled out, "Shut up and be grateful. We're out doing normal things like normal couples. What more can I possibly give you?"

I sighed, "Alright."

"Don't give me attitude—"

I snapped at him, "I'm not your child! Don't you scold me."

He smirked and then sighed.

I stared out the window until our food arrived. He talked at me, not caring if I was listening or not. A couple of people stared at us, but neither of us was phased. I ate my meal almost completely silently. I was totally quiet until he apparated us to my favorite icecream shop.

I smiled at him and hugged him. He held me loosely and whispered, "They have watermelon tonight."

I kissed his chest and then walked to the counter. They served me two scoops of watermelon icecream on a chocolate dipped waffle cone. I brought him two scoops of peace icecream in a bowl. I held our icecream while he held me from behind and apparated us to a beach. He then apparated us on top of an awkwardly shaped boulder that was perfect for sitting on; we quietly ate our icecream while looking out at the soaked shoals, the quiet ripples of the ocean, and the star filled night sky. The moon was new. So was the feeling of his arm around my waist. It wasn't possessive. It kept me warm during the cold night.

xXxXxXxXx

My kids are grown and moved out now; different parts of the world, different jobs, but all intelligent, all noble. They visit from time to time, mostly on holidays and on my birthday. They mostly just write me, though. Frequently, but it's not the same. However, it has given me time to plot.

I feel a little guilty. He's been good to me for at least a decade now. He lets the kids live their lives. He leaves Rastus completely alone. He's still a cruel dictator, but _our_ life is nice.

But the people of the world, they're suffering, and it's my fault. I should have killed him when I was seventeen. I have a second chance now. I won't pass this one up.

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**A/N: Please review.**

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**A/N: sandradee27:** Thanks. :D

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**A/N: Nyctic:** Plot isn't the biggest thing for me. Which sounds super stupid, but what I mean is that plot is obviously extremely important, but I think moving characters forward is very important, too. And sand is very important. C:


	22. Tranquilize

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Tranquilize**

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I walked up behind Marv and wrapped my arms around his stomach. He didn't react, but he did look at me over his shoulder. He raised a brow, "Good news?"

I shrugged, "Do I need to hear something fantastic to hug my husband?"

"You do when you hate him."

I laughed and completely rested against him, "I don't hate you very much anymore."

"Is that so?" He asked me in a high-pitched, sarcastic voice.

I laughed into his back and replied, "Time has worn me down."

Marv took a step away from me so he could turn around and loosely hug me to him. I rested against him again and pretended to listen to him until he said loudly, "Neema?"

"Hmm?" I looked up at him with bedroom eyes.

He smirked and whispered, "It's almost your birthday."

I sighed and took a step away from him. I crossed my arms against my chest and said, "If you get me," I did air quotes, "'surprise birthday sex'," I crossed my arms again, "for a gift again, I will cut off your penis."

He frowned, "Aren't you ungrateful?"

I sighed again and started to walk away, "I'm not ungrateful. I just wish you weren't so shallow with me."

I must have pissed him off. He apparated right in front of me and gripped my wrists with such force I'm surprise he didn't somehow sever them. He glared at me and breathed through his tightly clenched jaws, "Shallow with you? I share a home with you. I share a room with you. I've warmed up to you and spoon you, I hold you tight when you have nightmares. I liked the kids we have. I haven't killed your son. I'm not shallow with you." He pulled me into his chest and glared at my whimper, "_You_ have been shallow. You think I do nothing for you? Do you want me to go back to how I used to be with you? When I left you crying and laying in your own puke?"

Tears started to develop in my eyes, but I did my best to blink them away. I gulped and whispered, "No."

He let go of me and shoved me back a foot. He cleared his throat and said, "I'm going to my study. Don't come in unless you have something actually fucking useful."

I nodded and gulped. I didn't start to silently cry until he was out of the room. I apparated into our bathroom and locked the door. I washed my face, scrubbing it with cleanser in an attempt to feel less dirty. I splashed ice-cold water on my face several times before looking up into the mirror. My face has been exactly the same for thirty years. Maybe even more. I don't have a single wrinkle. No lines. No scars. No marks. No freckles. No sun damage. No silent signs of my pain. Nothing to convey my sleepless, worrisome nights. Nothing to show for the beautiful and fun times I've had with my children. My eyes are clean. My mouth the same. No wrinkles, no lines.

Nothing.

It's as empty as my chest.

Immortality, being frozen, took away my ability to grow, to change.

Being cowardly ripped my heart from my chest. Every day more and more of my soul slips out of the heart-shaped hole like little wisps of clouds. One day I won't have any more soul to call my own. It'll leak out of me. It'll evaporate into the sky. It'll mix with the clouds and rain back down on me just to mock me, just to evaporate again, just to torment me forever.

I put down the lid of the toilet and sat down. At first, I rested my face in my hands, but then I sat up straight and drew in a deep breath. I left the curls around my face and in my bangs alone, but I smoothed out the rest of my hair and braided it. I changed out of my thin sweater dress and into high-waist khaki pants; they're similar to a pair of retro horse riding pants. I swapped my comfortable house bra for my black push-up bra with the small, decorative bow on the center of the small connecting band between the two cups. I carefully put on a sunset orange, long sleeve blouse and tucked it into my pants. I ran my right fingertips down the cool right buttons, and did the same with my left fingertips and the left buttons. I grabbed my wand and magically transfigured the blue, nautical buttons into a matching orange and into small suns, but only the top half of the sun, as if they were all setting.

I drew in another deep breath, placed my wand back on my dresser, and walked down to Marv's den. I gently wrapped on the door before opening it and walking in. He was aware of my presence, but he didn't acknowledge me. I apparated behind him so I can sit in the gap between him and the back of his chair; I rested my chin on his shoulder and whispered, "Pila sent us a Pegasus."

Marv put down the paper and looked at me over shoulder.

I smiled meekly. "Want to watch me make a fool of myself while I try to rid it?"

He chuckled and whispered, "Yes."

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**A/N: Review! Review! Review!**


	23. Free Falling

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Free Falling**

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Marv transfigured some grass into a small bench and sat down on it while I coaxed the Pegasus out of the small, mini-barn Pila sent it in. I still had the leash connecting it to the indestructible steel post so that I could carefully put on all of the saddle equipment. Once everything was set up, I handed my wand to Marv and said, "Wish me luck."

The corners of his lips twitched into a small smile while he sighed with amusement.

I walked to the front of the Pegasus and looked into her eyes. I gently swept some of her hair away from her eyes and said, "Don't give me a hard time and I promise your stay here will be as great as possible."

Her eyes showed that she didn't trust me.

I drew in a deep breath and continued, "I know you don't want to be ridden, but I don't want to tame you, just get a taste of your freedom."

Her eyes softened.

"Will you allow me to ride you? It won't be a symbol of dominance, it'll be an experience of sharing."

Her eyes looked friendly now. She breathed out into my hand. Marv looked at me with surprise while I approached her side and slowly got on as to not subject her spine with unnecessary force. I shrugged at him and said, "All relationships need an element of trust."

He rolled his eyes.

I ignored him, leaned forward, and gently took out the reigns from her mouth. She neighed loudly and shook her head back and forth a few times. I held onto her mane, but without tugging on it painfully, and let her do her natural thing. She started with a trot, then into a fast walk, then she started to run. I tucked my legs closer to her and squeezed her, partly out of fear, partly for more stability. She started to flap her wings after the initial, awe-inspiring stretch. We were air born once her flaps gave her enough lift, and the speed of her running gave her enough momentum. It didn't get too scary until we reached a good few hundred feet into the air, and even then it was only because she started to sway and twirl. Though, I have to admit that it was much more exhilarating than anything I've ever experienced before.

Once she started to fly in a basic straight line I leaned forward to get a little bit more balance, stopped squeezing her to death with my nervous legs, and slid my feet into the saddle straps to enable a standing position. I stretched my arms out left and right in order to gain a better sense of balance. I played around with a squat before lifting my chest up and balancing as well as possible; air immediately whipped my hair around and cooled my face, the sunlight warmed my skin and leaked through my separated strands of hair.

For the first time in over thirty years, I feel magical.

Draco seldom visits me. From what Rastus tells me, he's busy visiting his grandkids. I don't see my kids, or grandkids, too often. I'm no longer trapped in this house, but still, most of the family interaction occurs on birthdays and holidays. I'm essentially alone in this house. Marv used to never be home, and now he's here half the time, but even then he's in meetings and doing work that revolves around his dictatorship.

I miss human contact.

I miss being able to feel extremely. Hatred no longer has any foundation of rage, it is just numbness. Genuine happiness is a rare thing around the house. This though, this… This is pure euphoria. To be twirled around, rushing through the air, to fly, to feel that freedom… It's indescribable. It's too amazing. Too wonderful. Too pure.

I didn't notice my feet slipping out of the stirrups; she tried to save me, but I was falling to wildly for her to fly and not break a wing or shoulder blade. I didn't care though. I was flying on my own. No broom or Pegasus or any other magic needed. Just gravity and me. And it was magnificent.

Air rushing through my hair.

Sunlight slipping into my skin.

My lungs full and empty at the same time.

My heart beating the magic that I usually have to concentrate into my wand.

Feeling weightless, just falling…

Marv magically caught me before I hit the ground; he let me land on my ass though after stilling me with levitation. He started to scream at me, but I was incapable of hearing him. I sprung up, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him deeply. He didn't put up much of a fight.

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**Where did all my faithful reviewers go? :C**

**I have a new Marcus Flint story on Mibba. I may or may not post it on here. I don't know yet:**

**stories . mibba . com/read/395985/Uncharted/**


	24. First Step

**Chapter Twenty-Four: First Step**

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I took a quick shower before scrubbing the grass stains out of my clothes. Rastus is supposed to come over soon; I considered just letting these soak, but he's a grown man. I'm sure his wife has had to do this before.

Oh gross.

Gross. Gross. Gross.

Jokes like that aren't funny with such close relatives.

_Mreeeeeeeeeh_.

Frown.

Okay, okay. Gotta get back on track—

"Mom!" Rastus shouted before opening the door to the laundry room and smiling at me. "I have a surprise for you."

I smiled and slapped my shirt back into the soapy sink. I dried off my hands, walked over to him, and hugged him tightly. "Oh, I've missed you!"

Rastus hugged me back. He's in his mid thirties now, and it shows; none of our kids wanted immortality, mostly because I refused to let them consider it. It's a curse, no matter how much Marv pumps it up.

I fought back tears looking at him. With the exception of his hair curly dirty blonde hair and olive skin, I imagine that Draco would have looked just like this.

I didn't have a lot of time to dwell. A beautiful toddler rushed over to my legs. I squatted down, picked him up, and didn't care if I quietly cried. Rastus married Eva. I was there for the birth of this beautiful boy. They named him Draco. His tight black ringlets, brown eyes, and mocha skin don't look anything like Draco, but his little face… His little face… same exact structure.

I plopped down onto the floor while holding baby Draco up above me. He giggled from the feeling of the air. I laid him down on the floor after getting on my knees. I made fart noises on his soft stomach and smiled widely and genuinely as he wiggled and giggled and smiled. Eva stood with Rastus; she probably thinks I'm crazy right now, but I don't care. I never go visit them because I know that brings the paranoia of a visit from Voldemort, and they never visit me because that brings the fear of Marv.

But this baby.

I love this baby so much.

Rastus started to talk to me, but I shushed him. I scooped up baby Draco and stood back up. Eva and Rastus followed me while I talked to baby Draco and walked out to the gardens. We stopped at some flowers so he could play with them, stare in awe at humming birds and try to catch butterflies, but we didn't really stop until we arrived at the small lake. I took off his shoes and socks so he could feel the warm sand while he ran around giggling. Eva smiled while watching her son; I looked at mine, gently squeezed his chin, and mumbled, forcing back tears, "His face. Your face."

Rastus smiled. "My face, his face."

I bit down on my bottom lip.

Rastus quietly whispered to me while Eva walked next to her joyous son. "Do you still miss him this much?"

I sighed and shrugged, "I'll always miss him, Rastus. I don't cry over him anymore. I just always feel so guilty—"

Rastus hugged me and said, "Even if it was your fault, he'd have forgiven you."

I laughed awkwardly while hugging my grown son, "He was never upset with me."

Rastus gave me a supportive squeeze before taking a step back and saying, "Then you shouldn't be either."

I smiled, swallowed my excess spit, and stared out at my beautiful grandbaby. His tight ringlets jumping up with every quick step, his smile never leaving his soft face. I sighed with happiness; Marv's arms around me didn't phase the happiness, and unlike baby Rastus, baby Draco didn't give a flying fuck that something as terrible as Voldemort was near.

Because baby Draco doesn't just know what we all know: Voldemort can never truly hurt _you_, he can't hurt you soul. We all know that, but baby Draco… Baby Draco's essence, his _soul_, although young and without a lot of "real world" experience, has been fed too much love to be affected my Voldemort's bullshit.

Mine is split in half and part of it is in an object, but it's just trapped, not damaged.

It's…

It's just _trapped_. It's not damaged.

A smirk found it's way onto my face.

I've been living under a false truth.

Marv owns no part of my soul. It's always been mine.

Oh ho–ho!

First thing's first: when I tell the story of the downfall of his dictatorship, I will give all credit to baby Draco. Because his soul is unbreakable. Because he showed that mine isn't broken either.

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**A/N: Please review! Also, I'm considering posting "Uncharted" (my new Marcus Flint story) on here, too. Review with your thoughts!**

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**A/N: scara1:** I've been busy, too!


	25. Allow Me

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Allow Me**

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I spent a lot of time with baby Draco in my library. He can't read yet, obviously, but I spent a lot of time reading picture books to him. Daisy, although very tired and rather old now, loved to see him. I don't have her do much work anymore. She tidies up and dusts the library. She makes sure my furniture smells good and that the windows are clean, but most of her tasks take very little effort since her magic is rather impressive. She often brings in flowers from the over populated parts of the gardens, she makes me drinks when I ask for them, and sometimes, when I'm tired, she reads to me so that I may fall into a nice nap on one of my chaise lounges.

She's very good to me. She has to be since she's my elf, but a lot of elves are bitter and do the bare minimum of a task. In return for her hard work and genuine friendship, I magically built a small room for her off of the library. One wall is usually a large, indestructible window that allows her to see the gardens and even a bit of the lake, but at night she gets a bit scared, so she pulls down the magical curtain that not only blocks the window, but morphs into and becomes a wall for as long as she has it down. She has two, grass green walls, but the wall directly across from the giant window isn't a solid painted color. It's covered in painted daises and a number of other things that she loves. I had a few built in shelves put into one of the pink walls; she uses them to store some vases of flowers, pictures of her while baby sitting my kids when they were toddlers, and some decorative ceramic objects. I get a lot of heat for treating a house elf so well, but I don't care what these other wizards and witches say. Daisy has been much more than just a mere servant to me over these many years. She's been a friend, a therapist, and sometimes she gives me the advice of a mother. Before Marv warmed up to me, I'd come down here so she could make me a warm chocolaty drink and read me a happy, simple story.

Marv, doesn't understand why I love Daisy this much, or at all, but he doesn't really care about our relationship or anything I do for her. I don't know if it bothers him or not, since he really doesn't show any sign of curiosity or care, but Daisy lives a happy life, for a house elf in the palace of Voldemort. But hey, it's still a good life.

Anyway, baby Draco spent a lot of time with me during the afternoon. I cleaned, bathed, and changed him before his afternoon nap. Eva and Rastus napped along with him; Daisy was assigned the task of waking them an hour before dinner so that they can get ready. Despite Marv's obvious hints that he wants to be alone in his study, I went ahead and levitated a favored chaise into his study. I placed it near the window that was letting in the most light, gently kicked off my shoes, and got comfortable. He sighed loudly and with annoyance, but I laid down on my left side to feel the light warm my face and quickly drifted into a happy slumber. I only woke up because Marv was getting comfortable behind me; his attempt to spoon me stirred me to consciousness. I half smiled, half smirked after yawning. He rolled his eyes at me, readjusted the one pillow I brought it, and loosely held me.

Daisy woke me up on her way up to Rastus, Eva, and baby Draco. I groggily stared at Marv's perfect, emotionless face for several minutes before he woke up. He yawned, stretched his body for a few seconds, and then mumbled, "I'm not hungry quite yet."

I rolled my shoulders back, stretched a bit, and then quietly replied, "We will be within the hour."

He nodded lightly while I slowly turned to face him. I resituated myself so that I'd be several inches away from him, but still looking into his deep green eyes. I started to play with his weak-due-to-sleep hands and smirked at him. He raised his right brow inquisitively and whispered, "What?"

My smirk widened, "I'm giggling internally."

A small, amused smirk found its way onto his lips. "About what?"

I raised my left hand so that he could see the ring he burned into my ring finger over three decades ago, then I wiggled my right arm from underneath me until my right hand reached my left. His smirk disappeared as he focused on my hands. My smirk widened more as I placed my pointer and middle finger, plus my thumb, on the ring. I turned it around my finger a few times.

Marv's face slowly showed signs of his internal, controlled irritation. "So what?"

I slowly sat up, brought my knees into my chest, and then flashed him my left hand again.

He sighed.

I licked my dry lips before placing my pointer, middle, and thumb back onto the ring. I turned it a few more times before slowly sliding it all the way up to the very tip of my finger.

Voldemort's face was completely blank, but his jaw was tightly clenched, his brows pulled back, and his eyes wider than usual. He whispered, more like quietly rushed out, "Only I can take it off completely."

I squeezed my eyes shut and then quickly opened them again before I drew in a deep breath and pulled the ring completely off.

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**A/N: Please review! And check out Uncharted if you have a few more minutes of extra time. C:**

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**A/N: Nyctic:** It's totally fine. I haven't been receiving any emails from , so I figured that no one is. Which really sucks. I imagine a lot of people think I've abandoned this place or at least this story, when I really haven't. Thanks for reviewing, too. :)) I have some great plans for the horcrux. MUUUHAHAHA. THIS CHAPTER WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF HER HORCRUX. hahaha Anyway, hope you liked this chapter. And got the email for it. haha :P


	26. King of the World

**Chapter Twenty-Six: King of the World**

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I expected to be subject to excruciating pain. Any and all terrible sensations would be a start, alas, nothing but awkward eye contact. I gulped and squeezed the ring in my hand. He opened his mouth, but no sound came. I've never seen him speechless. Ever. If there was ever a time to run away, it would be now, but I can't move my legs.

He screeched and shot his arms out to grab me.

I apparated; nowhere impressive or really that safe, just to the door. He looked at me with confusion and started to apparate, too, so I decided to pop around the house. I started to run and jump between apparating until I figured I'd go ahead and just stop my efforts; confuse him a bit.

Marv apparated several feet away from me and stared at me with pure bewilderment. He whispered, "What are you doing?"

I shrugged and whispered back, "What are you doing?"

He sighed and shrugged.

I tossed the ring at him.

He caught it.

I stared at him.

He stared at me.

He ran and apparated at the same time. I took a step back, but his run carried with him; he slammed into me, his fingers inches into the flesh of my shoulders. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

I punched him in the throat to get him away from him. He stumbled back as I shouted, "I'LL DO AS I PLEASE!"

He slammed his body against me as if in a game of football. We crashed into the wall as he screamed, "I'M THE FUCKING KING OF THE WORLD! WHO ARE YOU?"

I went to push him away from me, but he apparated us to a hall not recognizable by me. People jumped away from their seats and did their best to duck out of the way when he literally threw me onto a table. He screamed again, "I AM THE KING OF THE WORLD! WHO ARE YOU?"

I jumped back up and shouted, "SOME ONE WHO'S BEEN WAITING TO SLAP YOU AROUND!"

He laughed at me.

I apparated right in front of him and popped him in the face.

He stumbled backward.

I laughed.

He glared at me and immediately started to perform dark magic.

I laughed again, easily blocking his curses. "I've lived with you for decades, but you don't think that I've learned the ways of dark magic?"

His shrill, low laugh penetrated my every pore. His perfectly plump lips stretched into a sinister smirk. His chiseled chin sunk into his chest before his hiss filled the hall, "Oh, I know you learned, but you've learned by watching my practices."

I braced myself.

He cackled.

I held my breath.

He arched his back, threw his head and arms back, and laughed while a cloud darker than night erupted out of his chest.

I gulped.

The cloud quickly wrapped around me. He swung his body from the hips up, moving his arms all around; the cloud followed his movements exactly. I couldn't see or hear or smell or taste or breathe.

He laughed at my fear and survival dilemma.

I peed a little.

He stopped torturing me and sighed, "Go clean yourself up."

I snapped and pointed my right index finger at him, "OH FUCK YOU! LIKE YOU WOULDN'T PEE YOUR PANTS?"

Someone snickered.

Marv turned to crucio them, but I apparated to the nearest undisturbed table and grabbed a butter knife. I transfigured it into a large butcher knife and stared at him while tightly gripping the handle. His nostrils flared while he breathed in deeply. "Tell me, Neema," he sighed and semi-sat on top of the table behind him, "aren't you doubtful of your immortality?"

I leaned against the table behind me, but I didn't respond to him.

He smirked and continued, "If you could take off the ring, does that mean you are mortal?"

I laughed and bent forward a bit from my waist, "My kids are grown and safe from you, as are their kids. I don't care if I live or die."

His chortle made me puke a little. "Suicide'll send you to Hell."

I laughed, "Because I'm not already there."

He rolled his eyes.

Then I smirked.

He looked curious then a tad bit fearful. He rushed out, "What's so humorous?"

My smirk grew; I whispered, "If I can take the ring off, then can't I be the one to kill me?"

He stayed silent.

I laughed and stood up straight, "I never needed you!" I pressed the backs of my hands against my hips, "You never held any actual power over me!"

He started to say something.

I didn't wait.

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**A/N: Sorry this took so long! I've been overwhelmed with classwork, actual work, and scholarship stuff. Please review!**

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**Kaye M: **I'd never abandon my baby.3 haha. But...I don't believe I've spelt "raped" wrong this entire series... Exactly how would I spell it versus how I've been spelling it?

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**ShadowLugiaOfTheSeas: **:) It's my baby.33

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**Justcallmezari: **I'm glad you like my fanfic. I've put a lot of effort into making it as original as I could with the set of characters I have.


	27. It Takes Two

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: It Takes Two**

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I don't know what I was thinking. At least, I don't know why I was thinking that I'd be successful. I stabbed myself; blade in one side, out the other. I even wiggled it to tear up my insides, to ensure my death. Alas, it turns out that Marv doesn't have any control of my soul, so I have total free will, but I'm still immortal. So, instead of an eternal fire-filled Hell, I'm just in an eternal Earth-like Hell.

I'm ignoring everyone in my hospital bed. Doctors, visitors, sometimes even me. I start speaking, in my head, and I'll let myself keep speaking, but I slowly fade out because I wasn't really thinking about anything anyway. I did some serious damage, and for that I pay the price of semi-naturally healing.

Marv had me moved back into the mansion, so Daisy takes care of me and reads to me, but besides that, there hasn't been anything going on. He's mad at me, he even sends me howlers; sometimes I send him howlers back, but neither of us apologizes. He's mad that I'd try to kill myself, I'm mad that he won't let me die.

I don't know what to do. Rastus has his own family, so even though he hates Marv, I'd be alone in any rebellion. I don't know how to take him down. I don't know how to affect him in anyway—

He's mad that I'd try to leave him.

He's mad that I tried to part from him.

I can't do anything to the empire that he's created, but I can appease him. It'd be a slow process, but I can regain his trust so that I can influence his future choices. He doesn't even have to weak, he'd just need to be distracted.

I grinned at Daisy and said, "Bring me the gel."

"What?" She squeaked, "Won't that hurt?"

I shrugged and sighed, "It's why I've been avoiding it, but I need to apply it so that I may heal."

Daisy nodded and brought me the small jar of gel. I slowly stood up after grabbing the gel; Daisy quickly brought me my slippers, so I slipped my feet into the warm fuzz and slowly walked to Marv's den. I didn't bother knocking, but he heard me open the door. His posture became straighter, but other than that, he didn't pay me much attention. I leaned against the wall nearest him and painfully whispered, "Will you help me with the gel?"

He answered with a sharp intake of breath.

I nodded and quietly sighed. "I'm sorry."

He laughed, but he didn't look at me.

I slowly slid down the wall and sat down on the floor. While staring up at him, I whispered, "I've been a selfish little girl for too long."

He looked at me from the corners of his eyes and nodded.

"I didn't want to be happy, and that made me more and more miserable every day."

"Why?" He turned to look at me; his tone was curious, but still filled with rage, "I've given you everything. You maintained your rich lifestyle and then some. What more could I possibly do for you?"

I gulped, "I just need you to forgive me. I've realized how difficult I've been, and I'm changing."

He sighed and leaned back in his chair.

I wiped my nose with my wrist, "I don't deserve you. You've given me a great lifestyle, every material object that I wanted, and we even had children. All I've been is selfish; I've just expected more and more, but you've done everything already. I don't want to be miserable anymore, and I don't want to make you miserable because of my misery. I want to be happy like I should have been all these years."

A small smile graced his face. Those who don't know him wouldn't have seen the smile, but I saw it, and I was glad to see it. He ran his hands through his hair and stood up straight again. "Bring me the gel."

I slowly got up and walked to him. I handed him the jar and gently disrobed; the scars I've given myself along with the scars of my surgery marked my body with bumpy red lines that spread across my chest, sides, and back. Marv stood up, his eyes never leaving my torso. He put a generous amount of gel on the fingers of his right hand while hugging me to his chest with his left arm. His breath tickled the nape of my neck, "I'm doing your back first."

I gulped.

"It's going to hurt. A lot."

I nodded.

He rested his lips against my neck, their occasional brush sent chills up my spine and warmth into my body. I put all my focus in the feeling of his lips instead of the intense pain of my body's natural healing being rushed. Fibers and strings of muscle and skin intertwined in their natural way, but instead of taking months, rushed themselves within seconds. I shuddered and shook against him, but I didn't open my mouth to make a sound. Marv held me against him until I calmed down from the pain; he turned me around and held me against his chest again, but this time he had to get more gel on his fingers. He sighed in my ear after resting his head against mine.

"This is going to hurt more."

I laughed.

I felt his right cheek stretch back; he smiled again. He took advantage of my one calm moment to slab the gel all over my abdomen. I couldn't help the single scream that escaped my lips, but his hands worked almost as quickly as the gel, so the pain didn't last long. When I calmed myself down again, he turned me around, loosely hugged me to him, and then whispered, "Are you ready for your sides?"

I swallowed my spit and backed up sickly snot before coughing out, "Ye—yes."

"Hold onto me."

I nodded and wrapped my arms around his neck. He rubbed the gel between his hands, drew in a deep breath, then slabbed the gel onto my sides and rapidly rubbed it in with a circular motion. I shuddered and did my best to not make noise while my grip on him tightened. My sides were the last to heal, so when he was finished he hugged me to him. I trusted him completely with my balance, so I rested against him while sniffling from my cold.

He slid his head onto of mine and sat down in the chair. I was caught off guard, but I was able to move my legs to accommodate our new position. I sighed and laid my head against his right shoulder. He turned back toward his desk; I think he continued to work the best he could while I drifted in and out of sleep.

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**A/N: Please comment! Also, go check out and comment on my new Tom Riddle story, _The Raven_.**

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**A/N: sandradee27:** Thanks. haha. I thought I spelt it right. haha. Anyway, Draco3

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**A/N: Nyctic:** After a while, if she can't save the world, she should at least save herself, right?

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**A/N: ashrachellexx:** I love this story too much to abandon it.3


	28. Shake It Out

**Chapter 28: Shake It Out**

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"No," I responded to Pila while stirring my small cup of coffee.

She sniffled and poured the rest of the coffee into her nearly empty cup. "What do you mean? He's the darkest wizard of all time."

I shrugged, "I've never understood him, Pila."

She sat on the stool across from me after placing her blue and silver-swirled cup on her mosaic counter top. I watched my grown daughter slump against the counter and run her hands from her chin to her hair. She twisted her fingers through her curly strands and groaned, "It seems that if the most evil man on the planet is faithful, my husband should be too."

I moved my stool next to her and hugged her to me with my right arm. She immediately turned and hugged me tightly and cried against my chest. I used my left hand to cradle her face and rub her head. "You know your father would have no problem killing him—in any fashion, really."

Pila snorted out a small laugh, but then replied, "My children would."

"You know," I said and kissed the top of her head, "a cousin of mine, many years ago, had a father who constantly cheated on her mom. He eventually died because he was all slashed up by a werewolf. Too many cuts to be healed all the way. He bled out. She didn't go to his funeral—his death isn't what caused that sort of damage to their relationship, but that he expected her to just forgive him and make the effort to stay in touch. He was a grown man and the one who needed to be concerned and responsible. If you leave Andante, that's not the fault or guilt of your children."

Pila kept crying but her body relaxed; we eventually apparated to the couch where we watched sad romantic movies and cried together over anything and everything. Pila wanted me to take her two children back to the mansion so she could work things out with Andante, but I refused to do so. I didn't think he'd hurt her physically, but I wasn't going to take the chance, so I persuaded her to bring Leon and Wolf Gang herself so that all three could stay with me.

Wolf Gang is her oldest. He's sixteen and makes us call him Walt—it's the closest name he could think of to the Wolf in Wolf Gang, a name his mother gave him only to piss off Marv. Marv doesn't particularly care anymore, but he still thinks that it's a ridiculous name. Leon is fourteen and the darker of the two—Walt is taller, has a square and strong jaw and the beginnings of a masculine and fit build, and his skin is a light mocha, whereas Leon's skin is a deep, almost mahogany shade. He's younger, so his frame and features aren't as strong, but he too is becoming a strong and attractive young man. Pila wanted to have another kid; she admitted that their third child would be significantly behind in age, but she wanted to try for a daughter. She took herself off her birth control methods and waited a few months for the magic and medicine to be out of her system, but she found out that Andante was sleeping with a woman several levels above him to "try and get promoted faster and higher up," something to which Pila responded with, "are you that shitty at your job that you can't be moved up for your work?"

Have I mentioned lately that I love my little girl?

She looks older than me now. I'm frozen at twenty and she chose to keep moving, in fact, all my kids did. Even if they wanted to, I would have never let them be subjected to this fate.

Pila and I spent the rest of the afternoon packing up some of her clothes and belongings as well as Wolf Gang's and Leon's things. They're currently at Hogwarts, but we wanted to set up some rooms for them to come back to during breaks that only last several days. Pila set up in the room she had before she moved out and grew up, and we picked two rooms for her sons on the floor directly above us. Pila took a nap after we set everything up, which is pretty understandable since she's emotionally and physically drained, so much so that she'll probably just wake up early tomorrow morning instead of having the nap interrupt her usual sleeping pattern.

I went downstairs and knocked on the door of Marv's den. Almost immediately, he magically opened it, but he didn't pay attention to me as I closed the door and walked over to him. I started to gently rub his shoulders and neck until his body relaxed and he put his quill down. I continued my gentle rub from the base of his neck all the way to the top of his head, which I squeezed with my fingertips and moved in little circles. I rubbed my way back down his neck, down his shoulders and then down his arms until I felt the back of the chair. I pushed the chair back a foot, spun him around to face me, and then straddled him. He sleepily smirked up at me, "Who's home with us now?"

"Pila," I said barely above a whisper. "Andante's been cheating on her—"

"What?" Marv shouted and almost jumped up, "With whom? Why?"

"I don't know why," I frowned, "but with a woman at work. I told Pila to come home with me so she could organize her thoughts away from fighting with him—"

"I'll kill him!"

"I have a feeling that she'll want you to torture him," we both grinned at the thought of the punishment, "but, for now, I want her to be able to come back down to Earth and make the decision that's right for her and her sons."

Marv nodded and relaxed into his chair again. He loosely wrapped his arms around me and absent mindedly ran his right hand up and down the dip in my lower back. I kissed his forehead and then grinned almost evilly, "You know, my wounds are all healed."

He nodded lazily.

I scooted back on the edge of his lap and nuzzled my face into his neck. I kissed him a few times while unbuttoning the first few top buttons of his shirt.

Marv took my face into his hands and kissed me slowly and sensually. I groaned against his lips just before we parted and looked up into his dark eyes, "It's been months—"

"It feels like years."

I laughed and kissed him again while unbuttoning the rest of his shirt. I kissed all over his neck and chest while squeezing the muscles in his arms.

xXx

I slowly breathed in and out and sunk into the thick sheets. Marv grinned up at the ceiling after getting comfortable on his back. I smirked, rolled over and lay down on top of him. I pressed my forehead against his while he slid his hands up my hips and to my waist. I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off with a confused statement, "Your stomach feels soft."

"So?" I sighed.

He started to sit up, which forced me off of him and back on my side of the bed. He looked at me and repeated himself.

I huffed a little while sitting up, "What does it matter?"

"You're supposed to stay a fit twenty year old. So am I."

_Where's_ _this_ _going_? "And you have."

"But you haven't…why?"

I groaned from frustration and relaxed against the headboard. "Where are you going with this?"

He reached a hand out and touched my fading scars. He rubbed them for a moment before filling with rage. He jumped out of bed and punched a wall. I took that as my cue to jump off the bed and fumble with putting my clothes back on. He stared at me and shouted, "Your childish antics reversed the spell—_my_ spell!"

I slowly backed up toward my dresser, "What are you talking about?"

He slipped into a pair of sweat pants while trying to control his rage, but the windows in our room shook nonetheless. I grabbed my wand just as he turned around and screamed, "You're aging again! You haven't exercised in months because you figure you didn't need to, that you're frozen, but you're aging again!"

I gulped and buried my secret happiness.

He started to walk toward me with shaking fists.

I apparated to Pila's room and ordered her to immediately apparate for Rastus' home. The second she popped out of there was the second Marv popped in, so I apparated to Daisy's quarters and told her to apparate to Rastus' home too, and to explain that Marv is going crazy. She squeaked out a yes before popping away. Marv popped right next to me the second Daisy left. He shoved me several feet back, almost pushing me all the way to the ground. "Do you think you can out smart me?"

I just ran into more furniture.

"You want to age? You want to die? Fine, be my guest!" He laughed angrily, "It's too bad that Daisy already left."

I backed into a wall and groaned with fear.

"I would have killed her. If you want to die you should die alone."

If I gripped my wand any harder it would have snapped in half.

He took a step closer to me.

I pointed my wand at him.

"What? You took back your life so now you want to take mine?"

I gulped and shook my head 'no.' "You don't own me anymore. I'll be damned if I let you control me anymore."

He laughed again and stood six inches away from me. He grabbed my chin with his left hand and squeezed. I refused to whimper from the pain, so he just talked to cover the silence. "We'll be apparating to your father's house. He's still the best potion maker out there. He'll give us a new vile."

I gulped and managed some courage, "No." I immediately pushed him away and apparated without him connected to me—I apparated freely.

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**A/N:** I just bought a new laptop, so I think I'm spelling apparating/apparated/etc wrong. Tell me if you spot the right spelling, k? Also, review? *awkward smile* Also, feedback on The Raven and Conquering America would be much appreciated. *another awkward smile*

**Nyctic:** I feel like if she fakes appeasement, she can carry on her plans unnoticed. I need to go fix "my cold" to "the cold." Thanks for pointing that out. :)

**KaulanaRose: **If nothing else, he can be counted on for dysfunctional relationships and domestic violence. lawlz I like to keep him insane. (I saw the insanity wolf meme-LOLOLOL VOLDEMORT LOLOL)

**ashrachellexx: **thanks. :) I won't dump this story, I'm just so busy all the time.


	29. And it's Hard to Breathe

**Chapter 29**

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My body and time weaved together as I shot through the air, the space between me and freedom. I appeared in my old room. Not the home I grew up in, but the place where everything started. Where everything happened to me. Except. Except I'm not a victim of fate. I'm a messenger who got fucked over, and as much as I just want to die already, I'm still alive for a reason. Instead of moping around, I walked over to my old balcony, ignored the creakiness of the doors and leaned against the railing. I stared over to Draco's old balcony; it's far away, but it still looks like new. Of course, the Malfoy's still live over there. My family moved out of here as soon as they could.

I can't look, though. It hurts to see where he once stood. My brain tries to weave the air into a hazy form of him, but that hurts too much.

I heard a pop behind me; I needn't look.

He walked up next to me. "You're still as beautiful as when I first saw you on this balcony."

My body stiffened and I snapped my head to the left. In the light shimmered my Draco, my frozen-in-time, perfect Draco. "Wha—what?"

"Tom's behind us—"

"Mar—?"

"I can slow time for just a minute. Apparate again so he can't find you."

I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to hug him tightly—but I didn't want to hold air. I didn't want to be unable to actually feel him. I didn't want Marv to snatch me. I just apparated like he told me to. I apparated to the American embassy, but the second they saw me they all gasped and apparated away. Marv did a good job at creating a wizarding world, but he did an even better job at making sure everyone fears him. I sighed, sat down at a desk and waited a few minutes for Marv.

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**A/N**: So you know how this took me forty million years to write? Well, I've had this all along, but I really take feedback seriously, so, that being said, would you guys rather this trail into a dark ending or trail into a light ending?


	30. Coming Home

**Chapter 30: Coming Home**

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I was almost blown out of my seat from the force of the wind Marv produced with his apparition. "DO YOU THINK THESE PEOPLE WOULD SAVE YOU?" He roared and stepped to me.

I quickly apparated to Rastus' house; his siblings and their families were there, at his dining table. I yelled at them that I love them, but everyone needs to go. No one asked why or asked second thoughts; the parents grabbed their children and apparated away while Eva grabbed Baby Draco and ran to a large cupboard, which she opened and disappeared in.

Rastus shot up and asked, "What's going on?"

Marv apparated behind me and screamed, "Who do you think you are?"

I turned to face him, shrugged and sighed, "I suppose I'm the last one left who wants to do the right thing."

Marv grabbed me by the hair, tugged me around. "The right thing?" He laughed, "The right thing? You're so blind!" He screamed and tossed me into a wall. "You think you're so righteous! Yet you lived off me!" His screaming got louder, "You think you're so high and mighty, yet you stood by while I dominated the globe!"

I just stared at him. He's right. He usually is, one way or another. But… But that's true. I've been a coward for many years. I've let him torture and tear people apart. And I've always known this and I've always said that I'd do something to stop him, but I've just been leeching off of his successes and his riches and living with him for the safety—no. I've been living with him because I've been too unwilling to struggle, too lazy to put the effort into doing the true right thing.

Marv grabbed my hair again and flung me to the floor.

I laid there as he just screamed.

Rastus ran toward me.

I lifted my head and shouted at him, "Get out of here!"

Marv roared and jumped into the air, staying in a demonic hover. Death Eaters started to appear in the room in loud _pop_s; Rastus pulled up his right sleeve to reveal a white tattoo of a ray of light bursting through a pair of fangs; Rastus dug the tip of his wand into the tattoo, apparently calling numerous figures in white robes to the room. The house quickly filled with both Death Eaters and the white robed people. I jumped to my feet and ran to my son; I grabbed his shoulder, but he began before I could say anything. "Eva has Draco. They're safe—"

Shots of magic, both malevolent and benevolent, started to flood the room; Death Eaters were shooting out torture and death curses while the white robes shot back defensive spells and sleeping spells. Marv rose to almost the ceiling to shoot spells from his fingertips. He wasn't aiming at people though; Marv blew holes into the walls and made objects explode. His rage could neither be manifested into power nor concentrated into any spell; he could only make other things burst in replacement of himself.

"Just go! You have too much to lose!"

Rastus shook his head, "You can only have what you're willing to struggle for."

"Wha—?"

"I want my son to have a better life, a better world. And I—"

"Need to be there for it! For him! For his life and the new world!"

Marv's demonic laugh filled my ears; he grabbed me, flew back to the top and dropped me from ceiling. A figure in a white robe levitated me before I could splatter on the ground, but a death curse hit me in the back. I screamed out from the pain—its evil stung all my nerves and tried to slash my tissues from my muscles, my muscles from the bone – but some of the immortality Marv cursed me with was still present in my body, so I experienced excruciating pain, but the curse was burned off from the immortality still in my blood.

Regardless, I plopped onto the floor and panted for a moment before I could wobble back onto my feet. Many Death Eaters were comatose on the floor; numerous white robed figures were on the floor—some dead, some just temporarily paralyzed. Marv grabbed me again by the hair – surprise, surprise – and yanked me down to the floor. The space around us slowed as he pulled my old ring out of his pocket. "My horcruxes have been voided by my new immortality. You, though," he cackled, "you still depend on this, regardless if it's on you or not." Marv tossed it into the air, but someone else caught it.

Eva ran into the room shrieking.

Rastus apparated next to me.

Marv grabbed Baby Draco.

Baby Draco fondled my ring.

My Draco slowly became visible with his arms wrapped around our grandson.

Marv tried to grab the ring out of Baby Draco's little hands, but he couldn't pull it out.

Rastus shot up and tackled Marv.

Marv blasted Rastus back with heat from his overwhelming rage as he got up and grabbed Baby Draco's hands. Baby Draco cried out from pain; Marv couldn't pry the ring out, but he could blast me back as I shot up. Instead of just breaking the baby's hands or something reasonable for regular evil or just killing the baby like the super-cold-evil, he used Snape's tearing spell to rip Baby Draco up, forcing him to drop the ring. I shot up to kill Marv with my bare hands, but he crushed the ring with the strength he's acquired by his extreme rage. The ring turned into dust, dust which he blew into the air as I dropped to my knees and screamed. My neck and torso bent back toward my feet, forcing an unnatural arch of my body, as I screamed from a new feeling of infinite pain and watched a light float up toward the ceiling, not stopping for any material obstacle. Though, I forced myself to roll up as Marv shot a killing curse at Rastus from his fingertip; the curse shot into my body and it felt like it was bounding within my rib cage, continuously battering my heart. My last bit of immortality could only soak up so much of the second killing curse, so I had to use my last few seconds well seeing how I wasted all the rest of my life.

I screamed out as my arms and hands turned into those of a tiger. I sunk my claws into Marv's chest and slammed him onto the floor. Draco kept one hand on Baby Draco's body – he couldn't heal him, but he could stop the injuries from getting worse than the original curse – and used his other hand to cover Baby Draco's eyes. I used my claws to cut through Marv's shirt as my neck and head turned into a tiger's as well. I clawed at Marv's chest, which made him cackle, but he quickly started to scream when I tore his chest open. His immortality kept him from dying, but he could still feel pain. I bit his ring off his finger, crushed the ring in my mouth and spit out the dust. Marv's screams filled the whole room, especially as I sunk my teeth into his heart and tore it from his body. I chewed it up, spat it out onto his face – a face quickly losing color – and toppled to the floor. A blood red, almost entirely transparent cloud raced and whizzed through the room in circles until exploding into the floor and seeping all over the tile in a weird liquid state.

Draco looked at me and whispered, "What's left of his soul will be collected soon."

I couldn't move. I couldn't quite speak. Rastus kneeled next to me, but looked up at his father. Eva shrieked and shook and cried before falling onto her knees next to Rastus. I looked up into the eyes of my love and whispered, "Can you heal him"

Draco shook his head, "Not by myself."

"Why God?" Eva shrieked and stared up at the ceiling, "Do you like to see us suffer?"

Rastus shushed her.

I smiled at my real husband before looking at Rastus to say, "Roll me up."

He was confused, but helped me balance on my knees.

I placed my hands on top of Draco's and kissed Baby Draco's forehead. I stared up at the holes in the ceiling and whispered, "A life for a life." I leaned onto Baby Draco and Draco; Draco wrapped his arms around us as a bright white light seeped out of my chest and wrapped Baby Draco up like a cocoon. His wounds quickly healed, from the middle out, until he cried out for breath again. One last powerful shot of light erupted from me, forcing me backward and to collapse onto Rastus. Eva grabbed Baby Draco as Draco was starting to disappear. Baby Draco was fine again; I couldn't feel anything but a strangle tingle of warmth.

I could still see Draco, so I asked him, "Am I to be punished for my years of cowardice?"

He smiled, "A life for a life more than makes up for it."

I smiled at him.

He grabbed my hands and pulled me up.

It started to rain; the rain washed Marv's blood away from us and cleaned my body of the sweat. The rain rinsed Baby Draco of Marv's evil touch. The rain let Rastus let me go and hold his family.

I looked over to Rastus and, with strained breath, told him, "I'm glad to have lived long enough to see you be such a good man."

He started to cry and hugged me. "Mom—Mom we need you."

"No," Draco's hand was as vibrant as the living's as he touched Rastus' shoulder, "There's nothing left to be solved, and nothing left for which to fight. You will be okay. Your siblings and your family too."

Eva and Rastus just looked dumbstruck, but Baby Draco giggled.

I looked back up at Draco and whispered, "I love you."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me up with him. "We have to go; the rain will wash this scene."

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**A/N: Just one chapter left.**


	31. Out of the Fire

**Chapter 31**

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Small, warm waves lapped at my feet. Draco sat up with his legs apart so that I could use him as a rest; my arms were casually resting on the tops and outside of his thighs and my upper back and head used his torso as a pillow. It was a perfectly warm day. At first I thought the beach was just a dream. Then I thought maybe I was in some forced fantasy designed by Voldemort—but the warmth was real, and I know no matter how much effort he put into something, he could never copy this feeling.

Draco's exhale was a little heavy; I looked up at him.

"You know," he yawned, "we're not to go back for another hundred years."

I shrugged, "So we lurk around for a while?"

Draco laughed but then said, "We can't visit anyone."

"Oh…" I sat up without the rest of his torso.

The ocean kept lapping at us. On Earth, the ocean would have tried to suck us in and spit us out. On Earth, the ocean doesn't care. On Earth, the ocean is a neutral party that just does its best to keep balance. On Earth, people are the only thing that can't balance—but it's not really people, but their physical carrier. We try to identify with the physical world because we're physical beings, when, in reality, we're something so much more complicated and impossible to define. We just are. We just exist. But that's important.

"Well," I looked back at Draco, "I think they're fine without us."

Draco cracked a smile, "They're just fine regardless of us, but they're never without us."

The ocean lapped at us once more; it didn't try to pull us in, but it offered.

We didn't accept it this time, though it was a nice gesture.

* * *

**A/N: And scene. **

**Thank you to all you wonderful reviewers and fans for sticking with this series. You all have been too wonderful. I'll do an epilogue if there's enough demand. :)**


	32. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

* * *

They couldn't see each other – Draco and Neema couldn't see the children and vice versa; it's a common misconception—false hope, really – that the dead look down at their loved ones. They love those left on Earth, sure. But can they see them? No, not really. There aren't TV-like portals every ten feet to peep into the mortal world. If there were, the living could see their dead, too.

A teenage Draco was practicing magic with his father in the modest garden in the back yard of a home they moved into not too long after Neema's death. Although wizarding youth isn't supposed to practice magic outside of school, it's only a short break in the spring, so, really, no actual laws are being broken too straightforwardly.

Draco looked at his father and asked, "Is she happy?"

"Is who happy?" Rastus asked, mindlessly transfiguring weeds into roses.

"Grandma," Draco whispered.

Rastus gulped. "I don't know," He sighed, fighting back a stinging in the corners of his eyes, "but I like to think so."

"What happened to her?"

Rastus shrugged, "I wish I knew. But we have souls—that means she has had to have gone _somewhere_."

Draco nodded and tried to transfigure weeds into roses, too.

Rastus walked over to his first-born and loosely wrapped his left arm around Draco's shoulders. "She loved me very much—she loved all of your uncles and your aunt a lot too. And she loved all of you kids. So much that she traded her life for yours."

Draco stayed silent.

Rastus chuckled, "Though, not entirely selfishly; she wanted to be with her first husband, her actual husband, Draco, for so long. She just stayed around for us."

Draco nodded. "She'd be alive if—?"

"No," Rastus shushed him, "if you were to be dead, she'd have just let herself bleed out on the floor. Don't guilt yourself."

Draco nodded again and quietly sighed. "So, what happened to her then?"

Rastus shook his head lightly, "She couldn't have gone to Hell; she left looking to happy. I imagine she's with her actual husband now—my actual father."

"It's nice to be a Malfoy rather than a—"

Rastus laughed, "It's unfortunate that your cousins aren't in the same boat."

Draco laughed, "We're all okay, though."

Rastus shrugged, "For the most part. I think Pila was a little too attached to the old affluent life style. We still have money because of my grandparents. All of Voldemort's money was distributed back to the people."

"Didn't you guys get all the actual stuff, though?"

"Yeah," Rastus nodded, "But we all sold off most of the things; Pila still has money, she's just use to more."

Draco laughed but then asked, "What happened to Uncle—?"

Rastus walked toward the small pond he and Draco built. "Voldemort killed him. Only good thing he's ever done for anyone—Pila was unhappy about it, but her life is better off." Then Rastus' eyes opened wide, "But killing isn't the way to go—"

Draco laughed, "Don't worry, Dad. I get it. I just… sometimes I feel guilty."

"Don't," Rastus smiled and walked back to his son. He put his hands on Draco's shoulders and squeezed them lovingly while saying, "Consider it a gift. She lived a long life. You're the one who needed a chance on Earth. She's happier where she is and we're all happy that you're with us. It's a win-win."

Draco smiled softly. "If that's the case, can Lila come over?"

"No," Rastus sighed, "Your infantile survival doesn't mean I'll turn a blind eye to your sexual efforts with your girlfriend. Sweet lord, just wait to go back to Hogwarts."

Draco laughed out loud and transfigured cut off branches into a stool. He sat down then said, "I love you, Dad."

Rastus smiled then walked back to the pond. "I love you too, son."

They enjoyed their time together quietly, but happily nonetheless. After many minutes of comfortable silence, Rastus asked, "So what does the Order of the Phoenix do now that Voldemort hasn't been a problem?"

The corners of Rastus' lips tweaked into a small smile, "Mostly just play Wizarding Chess."

"Mostly?"

"You know," he shrugged, "mostly."

"What else then?"

Rastus looked over his shoulder at his son, "Make sure there's not a Voldemort 2.0 on the loose."

Draco laughed. "Very noble of you."

"Very noble, indeed." Rastus transfigured a twig into a flat rock and skipped it across the pond. For just a short moment, his reflection looked much younger. Like that when he was seventeen, maybe eighteen, but he shook it off. He needn't be so silly. Everyone knows that the dead can't watch their loved ones. If there were portals into the mortal world, then there would be portals into the dead, too.

* * *

**A/N: I can't believe it, but, that's it. :)**

Malfoylover: Thank you. I always try to make it feel as real as possible. That's one of the most enjoyable elements in any story. :)

xxOtterxx: I don't currently have a Draco/OC story right now, but my story, The Raven, is another Tom Riddle/OC story, and my other story, Uncharted, is a Marcus Flint/OC story, so there's a Slytherin theme there. haha. Also, Conquering America, although a Twilight-Jacob Black/OC story, is more of a story about an OC through Jacob's perspective-before he gets all whinny. haha. Anyway, it's more about Native American strong-emotional-bond-type and wolves than Twilight. Twilight is just a base.

oneshot: Hope this answers your questions. :)

NostalgicWish: Wow! Thank you so much. My Derailment was my first real love for a fanfiction story. There are parts of it that I would change a bit, but it's the first fanfiction story that I've kept up and have been truly happy with. That, and this story, have been such big parts of my closet life - lol - that it feels awesome but sad to be done with. Though, currently, I'm working on three other stories, mentioned above to xxOtterxx, that I'm really loving, and hoping to finish Uncharted before I go off to college.

peanutbutterjamjellyyy: It's somewhat vague, but it's there. ;P

VixyGreen: I thought so too. ;P

Nyctic: I haven't seen you in the last two chapters here, but I know you'll get around to it whenever you have time. :) You've been such an awesome fan that I really hope that you check out another one of my stories; I've enjoyed speaking back and forth through reviews and chapters and through PMing. You're awesome. PM when you see this series is finished. :)

**A/N: Honestly, all of you guys, here and on My Derailment, have been one of my biggest bases of fans and support for any of my stories, still up here or not. I started at Quizilla, before it got all wacky, but I really grew here. After I finish the stories above, and possible take one or two out of hiatus, I want to focus on writing my own book. Wish me luck and check out my other stories! I'd love to see you all there!**


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